When: 8:00 PM EST; Friday, February 27th, 2015
Where: Toyota Center; Houston, TX
TV: YES
The Nets, snapping a two-game winning streak, lost in tough fashion to a severely undermanned New Orleans Pelicans team Wednesday that was missed three of its best players in Anthony Davis, Ryan Anderson and Jrue Holiday.
Quincy Pondexter, who Lionel Hollins coached in Memphis, scored a career-high 25 points to lead the Pelicans to the win as the Nets went down by double figures in the first quarter and had to fight back for the rest of the night. However close Brooklyn got, New Orleans was always there to make another shot to keep its narrow lead before extending it late in the second half.
Brooklyn continues its road romp through the Southwest Division tonight in Houston against the tough Rockets, who will be without center Dwight Howard (knee) but will have James Harden and Patrick Beverley, even though both were questionable. With Howard sidelined, Houston is a much smaller team but is still one of the West’s elite due to Harden’s possible MVP campaign this season.
Harden has played every game this season–all 57–and is averaging an NBA-best 27.2 points on 45 percent shooting with 5.8 rebounds and 6.9 assists to boot. He leads a Rockets team that looks much different now than it did at the beginning of the season, as general manager Daryl Morey (a Northwestern grad) has swung deals for Josh Smith, Corey Brewer, K.J. McDaniels and even Pablo Prigioni over the last few months to augment the roster.
Probable Lineups
BKN- Deron Williams (PG), Markel Brown (SG), Alan Anderson (SF), Joe Johnson (PF), Mason Plumlee (C)
HOU- Patrick Beverley (PG), James Harden (SG), Trevor Ariza (SF), Terrence Jones (PF), Donatas Motiejunas (C)
Final Thoughts
If Harden and/or Beverley weren’t able to go, then maybe the Nets–still without Bojan Bogdanovic (ankle)–would have a decent chance to come away with the win. Now that both are set to play, I’m not as sure, especially with the Rockets in the midst of a homestand they are currently 3-0 on. That Pelicans loss would hurt so much more with another defeat on Friday.
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