A big divisional showdown for the Hornets and Rockets tonight in New Orleans. The Hornets are in ninth place in the Western Conference, and the Rockets are just a game behind in tenth. These teams have already played two of their four games against each other this season, splitting them 1-1. Tonight’s game tips at 6 Central.

The Rockets are 28-26 on the season, 13-14 on the road. They shook things up at the trade deadline, shipping out Tracy McGrady, Carl Landry and Joey Dorsey in exchange for Kevin Martin, Hilton Armstrong (haha), Jordan Hill, Jared Jeffries and a couple of draft picks. Last night, in Houston’s first game since the trade, Martin was the only newcomer to play against the visiting Pacers. He shot just 3-of-16 from the field as the Rockets lost for the fourth time in five games. Aaron Brooks led Houston with 26 points against the Pacers, while Luis Scola had 25 points and 11 rebounds.

On December 29 in Houston, David West scored a career-high 44 points and Chris Paul had a triple-double, but the Rockets still came away with a 108-100 win thanks to some hot outside shooting. The Hornets got their revenge four days later in New Orleans, beating the Rockets 99-95 when CP3 took over and led his team back from a 7-point deficit in the final three minutes.

The Rockets will of course be without Yao Ming, as they have been all season. Kyle Lowry has missed the last four games with an ankle sprain and will not be available tonight. Trevor Ariza re-aggravated a hip flexor injury last night against the Pacers but played through it. No word yet on his status for tonight.

Numbers:

Pace: Rockets 96.0 (8th), Hornets 94.7 (17th)
Offensive Efficiency: Rockets 103.6 (18th), Hornets 104.6 (13th)
Defensive Efficiency: Rockets 104.0 (14th), Hornets 105.3 (19th)

Linkage:

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(Many thanks to Dariusz for today’s banner featuring Emeka Okafor. Be sure to check out more of Dariusz’s designs in our Wallpapers vault.)