By George Devine, Sr.

It was never really much of a contest, as the Houston Rockets blew out the visiting Kings, 119-98, a mere 24 hours after Sacramento had done the same to the Pelicans in New Orleans. By the middle of the first period, the Rockets had taken a lead that they would never relinquish, but only expand.

Dwight Howard was the key to the home team’s success, and is already touted as the one who can make the difference in the Rockets’ potential title hopes in the NBA this season. He had 26 points and contributed 13 rebounds. James Harden was not far behind, with 24 points and 9 assists. The advantage for Houston was so pronounced that both leading scorers were able to sit for the final quarter.

For Sacramento, Isaiah Thomas took the lead with 20 points and 6 assists; Jason Thompson had 12 points and 98 boards. Coming off the bench, Derrick Williams scored 22 points and had 11 rebounds. The Kings had beaten Houston in a close game on New Year’s Eve, but a key difference in this one was the limited participation of Rudy Gay, who played only 5:59 and scored only 4 points, leaving the game with an injured Achilles tendon. He had scored a career-high 41 against New Orleans the previous evening.