The team and its fans learned on Friday the Rockets' full schedule, which will begin on the road against former Rockets star Patrick Beverley and the Minnesota Timberwolves on Oct. 20. The Rockets' home opener is two days later on Oct. 22 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Rockets, which finished with the league's worst record last season, will be nationally-televised just four times this season. One of those games will be a Nov. 10 matchup on ESPN against No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons at Toyota Center.
Other schedule highlights include:
- Oct. 31 at LA Lakers: The first of two games in three days against LeBron James and new Laker, former Rockets guard Russell Westbrook
- Nov. 4 at Phoenix: Face-off with defending Western Conference titleholders
- Dec. 5 vs. Brooklyn: James Harden's second time returning to Houston since his trade
- Dec. 10 vs. Milwaukee: Bucks visit Houston as defending champions
- Feb. 17, 2022 at LA Clippers: Last game before All-Star break
- Apr. 10, 2022 vs. Atlanta: Last game of regular season
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While the season will be the first in nine years without Harden in the backcourt, there's plenty to be excited about after a standout showing by Houston's first-round draft talent that is headlined by No. 2 overall pick Jalen Green.
The video above is from July 2021, when the Rockets introduced their 2021 NBA Draft picks. For more, access this post.
Rockets fans will now get the opportunity see how Green's scoring ability matches up with Kevin Porter Jr., who highlighted his first season in Houston with a 50-point game against the eventual champions, the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Rockets will also have four preseason games, tipping off with a matchup with the Washington Wizards on Oct. 5 at Toyota Center.
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