Houston Rockets vs New York Knicks – January 28, 2012 7:00PM

The gist: The Knicks came up short in South Beach, falling 99-89 to the Heat despite Bill Walker’s 21-point performance. Despite playing minus Kevin Martin with plantar fasciitis in his right foot, the Rockets ran away with a 103-76 victory over a hapless Wizards squad that imploded in the second half, thanks to a breakout game from Chase Budinger.

Key matchup: Samuel Dalembert vs Tyson Chandler

These two prized big men hauled over the offseason will strut their defensive wares. It will be a rebounding battle to keep an eye on and both teams will have difficulty operating in the paint with these two giants muscling and boxing out every possible possession.

X-factor: Courtney Lee

Martin remains questionable for tonight, so Lee will be tasked to stay in front of Iman Shumpert and Toney Douglas, guys who won’t be afraid to keep gunning as long as they have the ball in their hands. Chris Kaman also deserves a mention, if only because he is on the trading block and the Rockets should look to be a significant player in the Kaman Sweepstakes.

Code Red: Without Carmelo Anthony in their last game, the Knicks moved the ball and did not settle for isolation plays, posting 20 assists collectively. The Knicks will be playing with desperation now that they have dropped eight of their last nine outings. Over that same span, Amare has been held below 20 points and five free throw attempts on eight instances.

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