The Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic aim to capture their second win of the preseason when they square off this Sunday at the State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, Texas.
Houston lost in their preseason opener to the Memphis Grizzlies (92–89) but bounced back Wednesday against inter-state rivals the Dallas Mavericks with a 109–82 victory.
All-Star guard James Harden, who finished second in Most Valuable Player (MVP) voting last season, paced Houston with 19 points, six rebounds, five assists, and one steal in 20 minutes of action.
Harden was not alone as reserves Corey Brewer and K.J. McDaniels chipped in 16 and 13 points, respectively, in the win.
Along with Harden, starters Sam Dekker, Patrick Beverley, and Clint Capela scored 12 points each.
Capela, who started in place of All-Star center Dwight Howard, played impressively also grabbing 14 rebounds, with one assist, one steal, and one block.
The Magic, on the other hand, have played three games already this preseason but only won once in those outings.
Orlando lost to the Charlotte Hornets (106–100) in their preseason opener, edged the Miami Heat (100–97) in their second game, and again was defeated in their third against the Indiana Pacers (97–92).
The Magic's loss to the Pacers took place last Thursday with the team being led by explosive guard Victor Oladipo who scored 15 points, together with four rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block.
Orlando's big men NikolaVučević and Tobias Harris also provided impressive performances in the loss.
Vucevic had 13 points, nine rebounds, four assists, two steals, with two blocks, while Harris scored 12 points, also tallying 13 rebounds, one assist, and one steal.
The young Magic squad is aiming to have a great start to their year and get back on the winning track to have momentum entering the 2015–16 season.
The game between the Rockets and Magic will be held on Sunday, Oct. 11, at 8:00 p.m. EST. To watch via live stream, click here.
