Houston Rockets to face Trevor Ariza for the first time this year

The Houston Rockets will go against a familiar face tonight as they play the Washington Wizards. They are looking to make it five wins in a row!

The Houston Rockets are starting to look like themselves again. They have won four games in a row, all against quality opponents. They will look to keep their streak going tonight as they face the Washington Wizards and their newly acquired player, Trevor Ariza.

The Rockets did not re-sign their former starting small forward this offseason after the Phoenix Suns offered him a one-year deal worth $15 million. Houston couldn’t afford to match that, unfortunately.

He’s already off the Suns, though. He was recently traded to the Wizards in return for Kelly Oubre Jr. and Austin Rivers. The Suns were struggling and the veteran Ariza was going to lose minutes to some younger players.

This will be the first time the Rockets have matched up against Ariza since he was a Wizard in 2013-14. He spent his years since then with Houston and was a solid 3-and-D player for the team in that time. Let’s hope the Rockets can show him what he’s missing against the struggling, 12-19 Wizards.

James Harden

James Harden has been electric for the Rockets during this winning streak, carrying the team seemingly on his back. He’s averaged 39.5 points, 7.5 assists and 7.3 rebounds a night for the team during the four victories, earning himself the Player of the Week in the process.

Others, such as Chris Paul and Eric Gordon, need to step up and take some of the scoring load off of the Beard if the Rockets want to make this success sustainable. As great as Harden is, this historic stretch will not be his level of play for the rest of the year (maybe?). CP3 and EG need to find their rhythm and contribute a bit more.

The Bench

The bench of the Rockets, after starting the year negatively, has improved in recent games. They might not have the firepower and scoring that some second units have, but the defense and intensity that they bring have been incredible.

Danuel House and Gerald Green, dubbed “GreenHouse,” have come together to create a dynamic bench duo. They are both Houston natives and always play with passion and energy. House, in particular, has been impressive, especially on a two-way contract. Look for his contract to be converted into a multi-year one, much like Gary Clark.

This would be a reunion game against Dwight Howard, but he’s (once again) injured. Clint Capela going against the guy who used to start over him is always a fun game. Let’s hope that the Rockets can come out with a victory tonight! Be sure to tune in at 7:00 on AT&T SportsNet!