HOUSTON — Eric Gordon could be a game-time decision Saturday night when the Houston Rockets play the Golden State Warriors at the Chase Center in Oakland, Calif.Gordon has missed three of the past four games with a left hamstring injury and was limited in practice on Thursday and Friday.The Rockets’ second leading scorer and top reserve said he’s still experiencing some soreness, but will do everything he can to play. Gordon is averaging 14 points and 2.5 rebounds in 19 minutes per game this season.
Eric Gordon’s Status For Game
The Houston Rockets are facing an uncertain situation ahead of their game against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night. With star guard Eric Gordon listed as questionable due to injury, the team is unsure if he will be able to take the court for the matchup.
This leaves the Rockets in a precarious position as they look to gain ground in the standings and keep their playoff hopes alive.
Adding to the mix is Kenyon Martin Jr., who was recently acquired from the Atlanta Hawks in a trade. While Martin Jr. has shown promise, his ability to lead the Rockets in Gordon’s absence is uncertain.
The Warriors are sure to present a formidable challenge with their stacked roster and the Rockets must now hope they can find a way to win without their best scorer on the floor.
It will be interesting to see how the Rockets handle this tricky situation, and how Gordon’s status affects their overall performance against the Warriors.
Only time will tell how it all plays out, but one thing is for certain: no matter what, it will be an exciting night of basketball in Golden State! While Kenyon Martin Jr.
has yet to prove himself in the NBA, there is no doubt that he has a lot of potential. His tenure with the Atlanta Hawks was largely successful, and he could be a great asset to the Houston Rockets if they are without Eric Gordon for the game against the Golden State Warriors.
Martin Jr. can fill the void left by the absence of Gordon, and has shown the ability to score in bunches and to provide a spark off the bench. With his skillset and prior experience with the Hawks, he could prove to be a valuable asset for the Rockets and help them to get a win over the Warriors.
As noted above, Kenyon Martin Jr. (as well as new addition Jamal Crawford) provides some optimism for the Houston Rockets come Saturday night at the Chase Center in Oakland.
If both players have solid games alongside Harden and Co., then the Rockets may just stand a chance at keeping their playoff aspirations alive until season’s end.
Unfortunately, things are not looking good for Houston going into tomorrow’s matchup – reports indicate that Eric Gordon will likely miss Saturday evening’s contest against the Golden State Warriors because of injury, which is undoubtedly bad news for head coach Mike D’Antoni and company.
Without Gordon in the lineup, it will be difficult for the Rockets to cover for him offensively – though Brandon Knight will surely play a larger role than usual with his backcourt mate sidelined.
On top of this issue, Houston also recently traded away one of its veteran guards in Isaiah Taylor while acquiring Guard Kenyon Martin Jr. via the Atlanta Hawks.
Though it seems like this change would only serve to hurt the team’s depth, Martin Jr.’s defensive prowess should make up for some lost production; he should slide into position nicely behind James Harden as a member of the starting lineup or even as sixth man off the bench.
But none of these moves are enough; ultimately, if something doesn’t happen soon, Houston’s dreams of returning to post-season play might disappear altogether. Meanwhile, the Warriors are in the midst of a slump as we speak.
After making history for having the longest winning streak ever in professional sports and breaking the NBA’s single-season wins record, the Warriors have struggled to put together wins against other opponents, namely those outside of their conference.
They currently sit as number one in the Western Conference with 61 total wins so far this season, followed by Houston’s 50 total wins.
Furthermore, Golden State ranks first in points per game at 117.5 and is second in assists per game at 27.8 (behind Houston’s 29.6).
A victory against the Rockets would allow them to create a gap between themselves and second place–no small feat considering their historic journey to date.
Ultimately, it will be up to Harden and his teammates–including newcomers Martin Jr., Lance Stephenson, Damion Jones Jr., etc.–to carry through and get a win against Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson & co.
It will take time to adapt to all the changes, but every player on Houston has played long enough not to buckle under pressure.
The Warriors are known for their resilience: Steph Curry was a two-time MVP coming off an injury last year and then when Kevin Durant joined the squad in free agency this year from Oklahoma City, they became unstoppable–easily rolling over opposing teams during the regular season and then getting injured just when things looked bleakest during the playoffs.
Then came that fateful night where Kevin Durant went down due to an Achilles injury, which was devastating for many reasons: not only did Golden State lose another integral cog of their offensive machine but Durant also suffered what could be career-altering damage because of it.
Even though these circumstances were tough for both sides, it should serve as motivation to face adversity head on rather than giving into the fear of losing. Unfortunately, Kenyon Martin Jr.
who was acquired earlier this month in a trade from Atlanta Hawks team after falling out of favor with new coach Lloyd Pierce and never found his groove here in Houston, might not be able to contribute at full capacity against Golden State due to injuries sustained while he was still playing with Atlanta.
If he cannot go Saturday night against the Warriors or if injuries persist during Saturday’s game or beyond, it could spell trouble for Houston heading into post-season play later this month.