Houston Rockets vs. Brooklyn Nets game preview

Update: Kevin Durant and LaMarcus Aldridge are out tonight for rest.

Tonight is basically the Super Bowl for the Houston Rockets.

Hot on a 6-game winning streak, the Rockets now return the regular scheduled portion of their slate. The Rockets will face only one expected lottery team between now and mid-January. The difficulty level has been ratcheted back up.

Coming into town are James Harden and the Brooklyn Nets. They’ve got that Kevin Durant guy, too. And Patty Mills. And LaMarcus Aldridge. Because one Rockets killer wasn’t enough for them, I guess.

The narrative tonight is clearly about Harden seeing what he could have had with Houston had he chosen to stay. And based on Houston’s 7-16 record against Brooklyn’s 16-7 (the Nets are playing the Mavs as I type this), I think The Beard is sleeping comfortably at night. It’s a shame tonight’s contest won’t be on national television. I think the NBA audience wouldn’t mind seeing this game since you’ve got the Harden storyline, plus a contender arriving on an opponent’s home floor ready to end a winning streak. Will Toyota Center get loud on a Wednesday night? Can Toyota Center get loud on a Wednesday night?

Tip-off is at 7pm CT on AT&T SportsNet Southwest