In the first of consecutive games between the Western Conference foes, Domantas Sabonis leads the Sacramento Kings into Houston to face Jalen Green and the rebuilding Rockets on Monday. The same two teams will meet again on Wednesday, also at Toyota Center.
Sabonis, De’Aaron Fox, and the rest of the Kings have risen rapidly from a perennial rebuilding squad to a group that is currently in third place in the West. That’s a template that Green, Alperen Sengun, and the rest of the Rockets would love to adopt for their own use.
To even consider such a dramatic turnaround, though, one of the first steps for the last-place Rockets is to improve defensively. In Saturday’s blowout loss to Oklahoma City, Houston allowed the Thunder to score 153 points, representing the most of any game in club history.
In a similar format last month of two straight games between the same teams in the same arena, the Kings swept the Rockets in Sacramento. Fox, however, was a key difference maker in both games. It remains to be seen if he will play on Monday, since he missed Sacramento’s game on Sunday in New Orleans (personal reasons).
When and How to Watch
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Date: Monday, Feb. 6
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Time: 7 pm Central
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TV Channel: AT&T SportsNet Southwest, NBA League Pass
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Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free in Houston markets)
Probable starting lineups
Houston Rockets (13-40)
Sacramento Kings (29-22)
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Guard: Davion Mitchell
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Guard: Kevin Huerter
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Forward: Harrison Barnes
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Forward: Keegan Murray
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Center: Domantas Sabonis
Projected lineups are based on each team’s previous game, with the exception of Gordon starting in place of Daishen Nix. Gordon sold out Saturday for maintenance on night two of a back-to-back.
Injury reports
Sacramento’s injury report won’t be issued until a few hours before tipoff, owing to a back-to-back after playing in New Orleans on Sunday. In that one, the Kings were without Fox (personal reasons).
Houston remains without starting point guard Kevin Porter Jr., who has missed almost a month now with a left foot contusion. Garrison Mathews is questionable with left big toe soreness.
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Story originally appeared on Rockets Wire