The gist: All aboard the back-to-back-to-back bandwagon! The Rockets play their first home game against the team that wants nothing to do with three games in three nights. The Spurs will be coming off a home game against the revamped Clippers the night before.
Key matchup: Jordan Hill vs DeJuan Blair
In their first of two preseason meetings, Hill went off for 17 points, which would have been the buzz around of the league if he didn’t happen to be playing on the same day as Jimmer Fredette, Iman Shumpert, and Ricky Rubio. Blair is expected to deliver with Antonio McDyess on the way out, Tiago Splitter not yet ready for extended minutes, and Tim Duncan constantly benched for a longer shelf life.
X-factor: Chase Budinger
This athletic swingman can turn the tide and clear the lane with his slashing attack. He can keep Richard Jefferson and Kawhi Leonard on their toes and have them guessing which way he’ll go next.
Code Red: The Rockets thrive on high-octane offense instigated by Kyle Lowry. Can he run the Spurs out of the Toyota Center with his coast-to-coast game?
::follow the discussion in the Ninetyfourums::