The Houston Rockets sit half a game behind the Golden State Warriors for the No. 10 seed and sophomore player Tari Eason has called out Golden State on Instagram with a hilarious video.
The race for the No. 10 seed got heated tonight as the Warriors pulled out a 101-93 win against the high-flying Orlando Magic. The Rockets had a more impressive win against the Oklahoma City Thunder, beating the contenders in an OT thriller to pick up their 10th consecutive win. They have lost just one game in March and control their own future.
Eason is one of the bright young wings on the Rockets but has already had season-ending surgery on his leg and won't return in uniform again. He averaged 9.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in a strong sophomore campaign, solidifying himself as part of the Rockets young core.
Will Tari Eason Regret Calling Out Golden State?
The Golden State Warriors have made a habit of proving teams that call them out wrong. The Memphis Grizzlies thought they could be the dynasty-killers in 2022 but ended up losing in the second round as the Warriors won a title. Last year's Lakers didn't call them out in a disrespectful manner before eliminating them from the playoffs, so the Rockets might regret taking the Grizzlies route in this case.
The Warriors have more control over the No. 10 seed than the Rockets right now, sitting half a game ahead of the Houston-based franchise. The teams will also match up next week, with the winner likely getting a huge boost in this seeding battle. The Rockets could take the No. 10 seed with a win there, but the Warriors have already clinched the season tie-breaker.
The Warriors also have one of the easiest remaining schedules in the NBA, needing to play multiple lottery teams before their season ends. The Rockets, on the other hand, have one of the ten hardest remaining schedules, making their road trickier than Golden State. Now that Eason has called them out, the team needs to find a way to keep their scorching hot streak alive.
The Rockets have six tough fixtures from March 31st onwards where they'll play the Mavericks (2x), Timberwolves, Warriors, Heat, and Magic. This stretch could trip them up, as the toughest games on Golden State's remaining schedule also feature two games against the Mavericks and a clash with the Rockets, but the only other playoff teams they face are the Lakers and Pelicans.
Draymond Green has already let the world know he doesn't care about the Houston Rockets, so we have an interesting storyline playing out for the final few weeks of the NBA regular season.
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