Troy Taormina-USA Today Sports
The Houston Rockets head to Staples Center to close out the NBA 2013 regular season against the Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday night in a game that has certain playoff implications for both teams.
The Lakers looked dead in the water after superstar Kobe Bryant suffered a season ending Achilles tendon tear on Friday against the Golden State Warriors. Their season may have been saved a couple days later when the most unlikely hero, Dwight Howard, led his team to victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
Now, the Lakers find themselves in better shape than they could have possibly expected. With Sunday’s win, they now only need to beat the Rockets to guarantee a playoff berth and leapfrog Houston into the seventh spot. This would set up a first round match-up with the Spurs, one that has potential upset written all over it.
The Rockets have had quite a different start to the week. Needing only a win against one of the league’s weaker teams (the Phoenix Suns), the defense melted down and Houston did nothing to show they are in any form to make a competitive run through the playoffs.
Wednesday’s game is of huge importance for Houston.
A win would mostly guarantee a first round match-up with the Spurs, a series that would most likely go San Antonio’s way, but at least give the Rockets a puncher’s chance at advancing.
A loss would nearly assure Houston the bottom spot in the Western Conference playoffs. This would line up a first round showdown with the Oklahoma City Thunder, a series they would have almost no shot at winning.
The Rockets need to enter Wednesday night’s game confident and ready to run for 48 minutes. This Lakers team was beatable even before the loss of Bryant this weekend, and the Rockets must find a way to exploit this hole in their rotation.
Houston hasn’t been playing the best basketball of late and should expect to see a hungry and motivated Lakers team on Wednesday. They will need an improved defensive effort and for a few shots to fall to put L.A. in their rear view.
A first round match-up with the Thunder would be an interesting spectacle as James Harden would return to take on his old team in the playoffs. It’s just one that’s hard to imagine the Rockets prevailing in.
Houston heads out West needing a win in the worst way.
