Houston defeated Phoenix last weekend, but that game was played within the friendly confines of Toyota Center — where the Rockets are 20-10 this season. This week, for two straight games between the teams, it’s the Suns (34-24) who have home-court advantage.
That could be bad news for the Rockets (25-33), who are a woeful 5-23 on the road in the 2023-24 season as their odds of earning a Western Conference play-in tournament berth continue to fall.
Led by the likes of Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, the Suns haven’t played since defeating the Lakers at home on Sunday. That also gives them a rest advantage relative to the Rockets, who suffered a tough loss at Oklahoma City late Tuesday. In turn, that delayed their arrival in Phoenix until very early Wednesday morning.
Besides the advantages of home court and rest, another factor is that the Suns aren’t likely to overlook Houston after losing there last Friday. That could provide extra motivation, and head coach Frank Vogel should have a very Rockets-specific game plan — particularly when considering the extra practice time and scheduling quirk that led to three games between the teams over a span of only nine days.
When and How to Watch
- Date: Thursday, Feb. 29
- Time: 8 p.m. Central
- TV Channel: Space City Home Network, NBA League Pass
- Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free in Houston markets)
Probable starting lineups
Houston Rockets (25-33)
- Guard: Fred VanVleet
- Guard: Jalen Green
- Forward: Dillon Brooks
- Forward: Jabari Smith Jr.
- Center: Alperen Sengun
Phoenix Suns (34-24)
- Guard: Devin Booker
- Guard: Grayson Allen
- Forward: Royce O’Neale
- Forward: Kevin Durant
- Center: Jusuf Nurkic
Projected lineups are based on each team’s previous game.
Injury reports
Houston’s injury report lists Steven Adams (right knee PCL surgery) and Tari Eason (left lower leg injury management) as out, while Nate Hinton and Jermaine Samuels Jr. are in the G League.
Phoenix is listing Damion Lee (right meniscus surgery) as out for Thursday night, while guards Bradley Beal (left hamstring tightness) and Eric Gordon (left groin surgery) are questionable. Big man Jusuf Nurkic (right ankle sprain) is probable to play.
Feb. 29 uniform choices
- Rockets: White Association Edition
- Suns: Purple City Edition
