Houston Rockets: Reactions to marquee matchups

The NBA has released its full schedule and the Rockets play during Opening Week, on Christmas Day, and on MLK Day for the second straight season.

The NBA has released its full season schedule including the matchups for Opening Week, Christmas Day, and Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The Houston Rockets will be featured in all of the festivities and have been tasked with some difficult matchups that will be played on national television.

The Rockets will begin their quest back to the Western Conference Finals hoping for a much different result when they take the floor at home on Oct. 17 to take on the New Orleans Pelicans.

This is a bit of a relief for Rockets fans, as last season they had to watch the Golden State Warriors receive their championship rings before playing against them in the first game of the year.

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The team avoids an awkward encounter with their Western Conference rivals in exchange for a tough matchup against a Pelicans team that has a lot to prove.

New Orleans shockingly swept the Portland Trail Blazers out of the first round last season before falling to the Golden State Warriors in five games.

It should be interesting to see how the Rockets handle center Anthony Davis and new Pelicans signing Julius Randle.

With two talented big men in the lineup for New Orleans, the Rockets could have some matchup problems on the defensive end, especially if Carmelo Anthony becomes the team’s regular power forward.

A few nights later on Oct. 20, the Rockets head to Los Angeles for LeBron James‘ home debut for the Los Angeles Lakers. Even though it’s an early-season matchup, fans will get an idea whether or not the new-look Lakers can compete with a legitimate contender like the Rockets.

This will be a can’t-miss affair for any NBA fan when LeBron takes the floor in his new home.

Looking ahead, the Rockets will play a rematch of their Christmas Day matchup from last year against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The team will get a chance to avenge last season’s 112-107 loss despite 29 points and 14 assists from James Harden.

It’s also worth noting that Chris Paul missed last year’s matchup with the Thunder with an injury, and opposing point guard Russell Westbrook exploded for 31 points and 11 assists.

It’ll also be a chance for Carmelo Anthony to face his old teammates on his new home floor at the Toyota Center.

The Rockets were fortunate enough to get chosen to play on MLK Day once again this season, and they hope for a much better result than last year when they lost 113-102 to the Los Angeles Clippers.

This year’s edition of the Rockets on MLK Day will involve the team facing off with the Eastern Conference’s Philadelphia 76ers.

If last season was any indication of how this game will go, it should be a close one.

The Rockets faced off with the Sixers twice last season, winning by one and losing by eight. It’ll be interesting to see if Clint Capela is up to the challenge of guarding Joel Embiid and if anyone on the 76ers is capable of staying with James Harden.

With the Rockets being chosen to play on the biggest days of the NBA season, the league has recognized that the team is a legitimate championship contender. These are tough matchups, but they give the Rockets a chance to prove just how good they are on a national stage.