Suns enter the armpit to play Rockets

I don't often pick on other cities. I've joked about San Antonio before and ribbing LA for being...LA is just one of those things. This time though, is an exception.

Houston has been described as the Armpit of America but until I had a "chance" recently to spend some time there I really didn't fully grasp the concept. Lets just say that calling it flat, smelly and humid (even in January) doesn't do justice to those terms. Houston might be the very last place in this country that I would want to live and that includes the 6 months I spent on summer in rural Alabama.

Unfortunately for the Phoenix Suns their basketball team does not stink nearly as much as the home town.

The Rockets are playing some pretty good ball recently now that T-Mac is out of the picture. They are 10 - 4 over the last month or so and have recently beaten Dallas, Portland and Cleveland (and lost to Chicago).

They are doing it with defense. 4th in opponents eFG% (Suns are 19th) and 7th in points allowed (Suns are 26th).

It will be important for the Suns to bounce back from Wednesday loss in Miami and play better defense. The Rockets aren't scoring a ton of points from their back court which always helps and the Shaq vs Yao match up will hopefully be a wash.

If Barnes and Hill can contain Artest and the various assortment of Dudleys, Amundsons and possibly Swifts and deal with Scola, Hayes and Landry then hopefully Richardson and Barbosa can be the difference makers.

The Suns definitely need this win coming off two losses and with the Spurs and Mavs coming.

For a view from the swamp - check out The Dream Shake. Those guys aren't known for holding back so look for a Shaq like response headed this way soon.