On Monday, December 29, the Rockets (19-10) will face off against the Indiana Pacers (6-26) at home.

When: Monday, December 29 @ 7PM CT

Where: Toyota Center, Houston

Where to watch:

Space City Home Network (local)

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NBA LeaguePass (with subscription)

Subject to local blackouts

Houston will walk into Toyota Center riding high after two back-to-back statement wins: steamrolling the Lakers 119-96 on Christmas Day, followed by a brutal 117-100 beatdown they dished to the Cavaliers at home on Saturday night. After an all-around disappointing road trip that included three devastating overtime losses, that Christmas Day closeout was exactly what fans hoped to find under their trees.

Now, it seems the Rockets have steadied themselves. Two clean, confident wins have re-centered the identity, and they look like a team that remembers how to maintain control- and fans are eager for a three-peat. And with Indiana coming to town, it’s definitely not off the table.

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The Pacers come in on Monday desperate to break a brutal eight-game losing streak, much of which unraveled late and loudly. On Saturday for instance, Indiana fell to the Miami Heat 142-116, in a game that completely unraveled for them in the fourth. The Pacers actually hung in there early, even taking a slim lead into halftime- and didn’t trail by much going into the final frame.

Then, the Heat’s defense locked in, the Pacers struggled to find looks, and Miami just couldn’t miss, outscoring Indiana 44-22 in the last 12 minutes. This fourth quarter collapse is starting to look all too familiar to Indiana fans.

That collapse highlighted Indiana’s biggest issue right now: they rely heavily on shotmaking to stay competitive, but when the threes stop falling, the game slows, and the opponent demands disciplined defense and execution, the Pacers don’t always have answers.

As their name suggests, the Pacers do their best work when they’re able to speed the game up. They want pace, quick decisions, and rhythm. Houston wants the opposite. The Rockets leaned into patience, rebounding, and half-court control. And when they win, it’s because they refuse to let opponents push the pace.

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Alperen Şengün remains listed as questionable for Monday night’s game, and his availability does matter. If Şengün plays, Houston will have its full offensive hub back. If he sits, the Rockets proved they can not only manage, but thrive even short of their playmaker on Saturday night.

Either way, the matchup favors the version of Houston we’ve seen lately. The Pacers are searching for answers, and the Rockets finally look like they’ve found theirs.