Huo Yong looks forward, the Rockets need to go all out to win to retain their hope of qualifying, 6 players are absent from the top pick or the winner may be

The most regrettable thing about the Rockets last season was undoubtedly their loss to the Warriors led by Curry after 7 games in the playoffs. Tomorrow, the Rockets will have a chance for revenge, and they will go to Golden State to challenge the Warriors. This game is not just a regular season game, it is likely to determine whether the NBA Cup can ultimately qualify.

Although the Rockets currently have a good record, ranking fourth in the Western Conference with a record of 11 wins and 4 losses, they have lost to the Spurs and Nuggets in the cup competitions in two consecutive weeks. Currently, they only have a record of 1 win and 2 losses. With such a record, it is almost impossible to qualify as the first in the group. Therefore, the Rockets can only hope to get a chance to appear with a point difference advantage in the second place competition.

So this game for the Rockets is not just as simple as winning or losing in the regular season, it is even related to the interests of everyone on the team. The team will naturally attach great importance to it. However, judging from the current personnel of both sides, it is not an easy task for the Rockets to win the Warriors on the road.

The Rockets are currently full of injuries. Starting guard VanVleet has announced that he will be out for the season. Durant will miss the game due to personal matters. Finney-Smith is still recuperating from an old injury he suffered in the Lakers. Ethan suffered a contusion in last week's game. Adams even suffered an ankle injury in the last game and has been confirmed to be out. With so many injured players in the Rockets, some media joked that a team with this lineup might be able to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference.

Looking at the Warriors, Green, who suffered a right foot sprain, has a high probability of playing, and Kuminga has also participated in the team's 5-on-5 confrontation training. In the rotation lineup, in the regular rotation, only two players, Horford and Melton, are confirmed to be absent.

So when the Rockets meet the Warriors tomorrow, their situation will be more severe than last season's playoffs. To put it simply, they lack last season's lineup of VanVleet, Jaylen Green, Ethan, Dillon Brooks, and Adams to face the Big Three combination of Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Dream Green.

However, for the Rockets, there is not no chance. Even if Curry is in hot form this season, the aging problem of the team has become more and more prominent, especially in terms of defense. Coach Steve Kerr has expressed dissatisfaction with the team's defense more than once after the game. In addition, the Warriors have played 19 games, the most in the league, which has caused some problems with their physical fitness. The Warriors just experienced a three-game losing streak last week, and the team's status is ups and downs.

So if the Rockets want to win the game on the road, in addition to the attitude of the two young cores Shen Jing and Amen, Reed Shepard, who was put into the starting lineup, may become a key factor for the Rockets to win. Although the Rockets have welcomed Durant, the league superstar, this season, without the main players of Jaylen Green (trade), Dillon Brooks (trade), and VanVleet (injury), the team's offensive points have not increased but decreased.

Fortunately, Reid Shepard successfully stood up before. In the 10 games before the game against the Suns, Shepard averaged 15 points per game, shooting 57.1% from the field and 53.3% from the three-point field. However, in his first start of the season, he only made 2 of 9 shots from the field and only 1 of 5 shots from beyond the three-point line.

In order to match the Warriors' offensive firepower, Sheppard must open up the situation on the outside. Facing Curry, who averages 28.8 points per game, even if he cannot successfully limit his opponent on the defensive end, he must continue to provide outside shooting threats on the offensive end. Only in this way can Shen Jing's low post play and Amen Thompson's rushing frame be more efficient.

However, Rockets fans don’t need to worry too much about tomorrow’s game. In terms of the real-time winning rate prediction given by the league, the Rockets still lead with 55%. This means that even if the Rockets have many injured players, as long as all members perform normally, they still have a high chance of winning this key victory on the road. Who do you think will win tomorrow's game? Welcome to leave a message for discussion!