The Rockets, who have lost seven consecutive games, desperately need a win to alleviate the big crisis within the team. We know that in the previous Game of the Rockets' home defeat to the Nuggets, Porter Jr. and Wood clashed with the team's coaching staff of Silas and Lucas Sr. Lucas, although this small farce was quickly quelled, and Porter Jr. also formally apologized after the game, but the Rockets will definitely punish the two. After all, the Rockets can't afford to lose face, an apology is an apology, and the necessary punishment should still be there.
At 8 a.m. Beijing time on January 4, the Rockets will challenge the Philadelphia 76ers on the road. The current situation of the two teams is very different, the Houston Rockets have just experienced the pain of losing 7 consecutive games, the team's state is extremely poor; the 76ers have ushered in a comeback Danny Green, the inside "emperor" Embiid is unusually brave, this team is now ranked 6th in the East, their record is 19 wins and 16 losses, and the 76ers are in a 3-game winning streak, if they can win at home against the Rockets, the 76ers will win 4 consecutive wins, and the Eastern Conference ranking will continue to rise.
NBA expert Ben Dubos, as usual, gives his opinion before each rocket game, arguing that the Rockets' Porter Jr. and Wood may not play in this game.
Not because of an injury absence, nor because of a health and safety agreement triggered, but because of infighting in the Rockets' locker room in the previous game, which forced the Rockets to suspend Porter Jr. and Wood. Although the decision to punish has not yet been made, in Dubos's eyes, the Rockets' away game against the 76ers this time, Porter Jr. and Wood are not expected to play.
Dubos gave the Rockets starting 5 Tigers: point guard Jaylen Green, shooting guard Is the comeback Eric Gordon, the small forward position is played by Tate, and the big forward position is played by Nuwaba, who has recently performed well, and the center position is absent due to Shin kyung's injury, and Theis will be the starting player. Look at the 76ers' predicted starters, point guard Maxi, shooting guard Seth Curry, small forward Sebel, big forward Tobias Harris, center Joel Embiid.
Although Gordon's injury is not completely better, Dubos believes that Gordon, who has taken a rotation, will return in this game and will serve as the Rockets' main shooting guard, while the Rockets' supernova Jaylen Green will appear in the Rockets' No. 1 position as the main point guard. While DJ Augustine and Garrison Matthews have returned, there is no definite word about whether they will play in the next game now.
The Houston Rockets, the weakest in the West, have to go away to challenge the powerful 76ers on the road in the event of locker room problems, and this game can be imagined how difficult the Rockets can be. If the Rockets can't upset on the road, Silas' team will swallow an embarrassing 8-game losing streak. But for the Rockets' young players, this game will get more playing time and performance opportunities, and it remains to be seen whether Jaylen Green will break his personal scoring record of 30 points this season.