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Golden State Warriors set to play the Houston Rockets on Christmas Day

By Tony Pesta

HOUSTON, TX - MAY 10: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors and Eric Gordon #10 of the Houston Rockets talk after Game Six of the Western Conference Semifinals of the 2019 NBA Playoffs on May 10, 2019 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX - MAY 10: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors and Eric Gordon #10 of the Houston Rockets talk after Game Six of the Western Conference Semifinals of the 2019 NBA Playoffs on May 10, 2019 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The table is set. The Golden State Warriors will take on the Houston Rockets on Christmas day of 2019.

It’s finally here. The 2019-20 NBA schedule is being rolled out and we have discovered the marquee matchups of Christmas Day. Headlining the night will be an explosive matchup between the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors.

These two teams have quite the history. In the last five seasons, the Dubs and Rockets have faced off a total of four times in the playoffs.  In these showdowns, the Dubs have emerged victorious each time, only going to seven-games once.

It goes without saying that the Rockets are desperate to finally defeat the Warriors. A loss last season marked the peak of their failures, as they were unable to capitalize on the injury to Kevin Durant that left the Warriors so vulnerable.

A lot has changed since then. The Warriors have now permanently lost Durant as he elected to join the Brooklyn Nets this summer. In contrast, the Rockets upgraded by trading the aging Chris Paul for a superstar in Russell Westbrook.

Though his reputation has taken a hit, Westbrook remains a force in the NBA. Averaging a triple-double for the third consecutive seasons, Russ earned a spot on the All-NBA third team.

Pairing Russ and James Harden back together seems like a recipe for success. Harden dominated last year as an iso-heavy player, scoring a career-high 36.1 points per game. However, this massive offensive load took a toll on him once the playoffs began. With Russ there to stagger his minutes, Harden should be much better suited for a deep postseason run.

First, the Rockets will have to put themselves to the test by facing their old foe on Christmas Day. The Warriors may be injured and reeling from a devastating loss in free agency, but they aren’t going to roll over and die just yet.

As Klay Thompson said himself, it would be ignorant to count out the Dubs. With the original big three of Stephen Curry, Thompson and Draymond Green still intact, this team is capable of winning it all. Throw in the young All-Star, D’Angelo Russell, and this team is a serious dark-horse title contender.

The Dubs will likely take plenty of games off this season as they attempt to keep their players healthy through the course of the season. But, don’t expect them to settle on Christmas day. This game will be a great opportunity for either team to make a statement. Who will be the first to send a message?

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