Tonight marks what is probably Houston’s last game as underdogs in the seeding contests. Being the underdog has been good for Houston, as Vegas expected them to lose both games against Dallas and Milwaukee.
The last time these teams met resulted in a watershed moment for the Rockets and could possibly be looked at down the line as the moment when the NBA went small. That game was the first after the Rockets traded Clint Capela for Robert Covington and committed to small ball. With Chris Webber actively rooting for the plan to fail all night, the Rockets pulled out an impressive 121-111 win at Staples Center to validate Daryl Morey’s decision.