
Photo by Harry How/Getty Images
Mike D'Antoni came out to speak with media at 11:51 a.m. on Friday, over thirty minutes after he was scheduled to do so before the Rockets' practiced. The team typically watches film and goes over things before speaking to the media and it's not uncommon for D'Antoni to arrive a little after his scheduled scrum. However, much like after Houston's loss to the Trail Blazers, this was an unusually long amount of time for the team to congregate.
"You got something to do?" D'Antoni joked to Houston Chronicle reporter Jonathan Feigen who asked the natural question. "We had a lot to cover, yes."
The Rockets have lost 3 out of their last 4 games and 2 of those losses have come against teams with an under .500 record. They've been a -2.9 per 100 possessions (18th in the league) in that span. To say that they've been spiraling as of late would be an understatement.
"I'm not a big believer in [team meetings]," said D'Antoni. "We just got to play hard, go at it, and attack them. We've just been a little lackluster in the last few outings and we have to get away from it."
While the Rockets have been careful to avoid the phrase 'team meeting' over the past few days, they've had their share of them. After they lost to Portland, Russell Westbrook led a spirited discussion post-game and before practice in the film room they had another long discussion.
James Harden on the meeting the Rockets had after Wednesday night's game: "We had a team meeting?... It was a quick… https://t.co/PdzbfFrzQo— Salman Ali (@Salman Ali) 1579285442.0
Nonetheless, the Rockets have some real problems that need sorting. Teams go through rough spells and adversity, but for Houston to get where they want to be, they need to establish a certain level of consistency that they just haven't exhibited yet. Through the doldrums of an NBA regular season, it's hard to gather the motivation to be this consistent. Fortunately for Houston, a high-profile victory against the Los Angeles Lakers can theoretically jump start things for them.
"I mean, it's a big game," admitted D'Antoni. "It'll all mean a lot. It's an early test and we'll see if we can pass it. Does it mean more than anything else? Not really, not in the scheme of things. You got to take it into perspective."
Teams rarely admit that high-profile, national TV matchups like this mean more to them than any other game, but it's only natural that they do. Players and coaches have to admit that this game doesn't mean any more than the other 81 even though neither fans nor media ever buy charade.
"It's just one game," said Harden predictably.
The Lakers in particular have proven that they are the true best team in the Western Conference (33-8 with a +8.0 net rating) through the halfway point of the season. Their length also provide an interesting challenge for the Rockets - a team that's been undersized since the season tipped off in October. Houston will try and counter this by playing a traditional big on the floor at all times, never going small as their known to do.
Houston will carry on with the lineup that they've rolled out the past few games, starting Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Ben McLemore, P.J. Tucker, and Clint Capela. Against the Lakers, the interesting question here becomes, who guards the other big?
According to D'Antoni, that'll be James Harden. Harden guarding bigs isn't new for the Rockets as they've had to resort to it before, but it's come mostly for spurts. Against the Lakers, Harden will be defending a big for the entirety of the game. Tucker will continue with his expected assignment of guarding LeBron James and shadowing all of his minutes.
It's the first time both of these teams in their current iterations will face each other so there are a lot of fascinating subplots here. Teams with this kind of length have historically decided to funnel Harden to their rim protector. The current Bucks and Jazz are great examples of this. Harden's been in a bit of a funk lately and having to drive through Danny Green only to have to meet Anthony Davis at the rim is a tough ask, but he's up for it.
"I'm assuming their rim protection is really great," said Harden. "They do a good job of contesting shots with their length and they have some pretty good guards that are guarding."
Clint Capela has relished the opportunity to go up against Joel Embiid, Rudy Gobert, and other great centers in the past, but he doesn't view this matchup the same way..
"It's different," said Capela. "Tomorrow it's more about the whole team that I'm excited about [facing]."
Regular season basketball games don't carry the same kind of weight as they do in a sport like football, but this matchup will certainly tell us a lot about the state of the team.
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It wasn’t just a win — it was a glimpse into the Astros’ future
Jun 27, 2025, 10:43 pm
Two first-place teams, identical records, and a weekend set with serious measuring-stick energy.
The Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs open a three-game series Friday night at Daikin Park, in what could quietly be one of the more telling matchups of the summer. Both teams enter at 48-33, each atop their respective divisions — but trending in slightly different directions.
The Astros have been red-hot, going 7-3 over their last 10 while outscoring opponents by 11 runs. They've done it behind one of the best pitching staffs in baseball, with a collective 3.41 ERA that ranks second in the American League. Houston has also been dominant at home, where they’ve compiled a 30-13 record — a stat that looms large heading into this weekend.
On the other side, the Cubs have held their ground in the NL Central but have shown some recent shakiness. They're 5-5 over their last 10 games and have given up 5.66 runs per game over that stretch. Still, the offense remains dangerous, ranking fifth in on-base percentage across the majors. Kyle Tucker leads the way with a .287 average, 16 homers, and 49 RBIs, while Michael Busch has been hot of late, collecting 12 hits in his last 37 at-bats.
Friday’s pitching matchup features Houston’s Brandon Walter (0-1, 3.80 ERA, 1.10 WHIP) and Chicago’s Cade Horton (3-1, 3.73 ERA, 1.29 WHIP), a promising young arm making one of his biggest starts of the season on the road. Horton will have his hands full with Isaac Paredes, who’s slugged 16 homers on the year, and Mauricio Dubón, who’s found a groove with four home runs over his last 10 games.
It’s the first meeting of the season between these two clubs — and if the trends continue, it may not be the last time they cross paths when it really counts.
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Astros -112, Cubs -107; over/under is 8 1/2 runs
Here's a preview of Joe Espada's Game 1 lineup.
The first thing that stands out is rookie Cam Smith is hitting cleanup, followed by Jake Meyers. Victor Caratini is the DH and is hitting sixth. Christian Walker is all the way down at seventh, followed by Yainer Diaz, and Taylor Trammell who is playing left field.
How the mighty have fallen.
Pretty wild to see Walker and Diaz hitting this low in the lineup. However, it's justified, based on performance. Walker is hitting a pathetic .214 and Diaz is slightly better sporting a .238 batting average.
Screenshot via: MLB.com
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