In the first of consecutive games between the Western Conference foes, Domantas Sabonis leads the Sacramento Kings into Houston to face Jalen Green and the rebuilding Rockets on Monday. The teams will meet again on Wednesday at Toyota Center.
Sabonis, De’Aaron Fox and the rest of the Kings have rapidly risen from a perennially rebuilding squad to a group in third place in the West. That’s a template that Green, Alperen Sengun, and the rest of the Rockets would love to mirror.
To even consider such a dramatic turnaround, though, one of the first steps for the last-place Rockets is to improve defensively. In Saturday’s blowout loss to Oklahoma City, Houston allowed the Thunder to score 153 points, the most of any game in club history.
Last month, the Kings swept the Rockets in consecutive games in Sacramento. Fox, however, was a key difference-maker in both games. It remains to be seen if he will play on Monday, since he missed Sacramento’s game on Sunday in New Orleans (personal reasons).
When and How to Watch
- Date: Monday, Feb. 6
- Time: 7 p.m. Central
- TV Channel: AT&T SportsNet Southwest, NBA League Pass
- Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free in Houston markets)
Probable starting lineups
Houston Rockets (13-40)
- Guard: Eric Gordon
- Guard: Jalen Green
- Forward: KJ Martin
- Forward: Jabari Smith Jr.
- Center: Alperen Sengun
Sacramento Kings (29-22)
- Guard: Davion Mitchell
- Guard: Kevin Huerter
- Forward: Harrison Barnes
- Forward: Keegan Murray
- Center: Domantas Sabonis
Projected lineups are based on each team’s prior game, with the exception of Gordon starting in place of Daishen Nix. Gordon sat out Saturday for maintenance on night two of a back-to-back.
Injury reports
Sacramento’s injury report will not be issued until a few hours before tipoff, owing to a back-to-back after playing in New Orleans on Sunday. In that one, the Kings were without Fox (personal reasons).
Houston remains without starting point guard Kevin Porter Jr., who has missed nearly a month with a left foot contusion. Garrison Mathews is questionable with left big toe soreness.
