Previewing Rockets-Kings: Will either team have its star big man?
While the Sacramento Kings haven't been competitive without their star big man, the Houston Rockets may be without theirs Friday night when these teams meet.
It appears that DeMarcus Cousins will be out again for the Kings, who open a six-game homestand against a Rockets team that could be missing Dwight Howard.
Cousins has missed the last two games with a strained right Achilles and Sacramento (1-4) may hold him out for its back-to-back set this weekend.
These two games will cap a stretch of four in five days after the Kings fell 103-89 to Memphis on Tuesday and 118-97 at Phoenix the next night without Cousins, who averages 22.0 points and 11.0 rebounds.
"When you've got a hole without Cous, trying to learn your new personality against really good basketball teams very early in the season, right now we're playing as a very average defensive team and offensively we're searching for some confidence, missing some layups, missing some easy shots, missing free throws," coach George Karl said.
Houston (2-3) continues to be careful with Howard due to his back issues. The Rockets have dropped both games he has missed, resting him once in the first game of a back-to-back while the other absence was for a suspension.
The center had 23 points and 14 boards in Wednesday's 119-114 overtime win over Orlando, though he hadn't fully recovered for Thursday's practice. The Rockets start a back-to-back with a matchup at the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.
"He went through some stuff today, he's a little bit sore, he played again 30 minutes last night but I think he's feeling good overall," coach Kevin McHale said.
McHale did not specify what his plans are for Howard, though he said the center will play at least one game this weekend. Clint Capela has started both times Howard has been out.
"I know that Dwight, sometimes he's not going to do the back-to-backs so I've got to be ready to start some nights and not the other night but I'm trying to keep the same energy and be focused on what I have to do," said Capela, who is shooting 78.3 percent to rank second in the league.
Reserve guard Patrick Beverley is out with a concussion suffered Wednesday. The Rockets are also without injured forwards Terrence Jones and Donatas Motiejunas.
The Rockets are hoping James Harden can improve upon 29.4 percent shooting that is the NBA's second-worst mark. Harden has 65 points in his last two games, though he made 6 of 22 shots versus the Magic.
He is averaging 37.6 points in a five-game win streak over Sacramento, scoring 87 in two road games. Harden scored a career-high 51 the last time he faced the Kings in a 115-111 victory April 1 while Howard missed all three 2014-15 matchups.
Darren Collison leads the Kings with 31 points in the games Cousins has missed after starting for the first time Wednesday. Rajon Rondo has totaled 14 points on 30.0 percent shooting with 10 assists in the last two.
''We have to watch film and see what we can learn from it," Rondo said. "We have to get it right. We don't have a choice.''
