In a game marred by injuries to two of the best players on the Sacramento Kings roster, the final result was a somewhat expected blow-out victory for the Houston Rockets. The Rockets topped the Kings, 119-98, but the long-lasting effects of this game were mostly on the Kings side surrounding both Rudy Gay and DeMarcus Cousins.
Gay and Cousins combined to play just 15 minutes in the 21-point defeat, and while their injury concerns seem relatively minor after the game, Kings fans are certainly worried. Gay was diagnosed with a left achilles injury after just 6 minutes of playing time (4 points on 5 shots), and Cousins left the game after 9 minutes with an ankle injury. Updates from the official Twitter account of the team were quite positive following the game, but until we have a definite prognosis, it is best to say that both guys are up in the air from a status perspective.
For the winning team, this was a ho-hum decimation of Sacramento’s below-average defense. Houston placed 3 players with 20+ points (and another with 19) while dominating the glass (55-42) and generating 29 assists on 43 field goals. Dwight Howard led the way for Houston with 26 points and 13 rebounds (despite 6-for-17 from the free throw line), and he was flanked by a double-double from Chandler Parsons (19 points, 10 rebounds) and a 24-point, 9-assist showing from All-Star guard James Harden.
With the win, Houston improves 29-15 overall and 18-6 at home as they strive toward home-court advantage in the Western Conference, but for one night, their win seems somewhat minor as the Kings await status reports on two of their leaders.