With the acquisition of Chris Paul in the off-season and the creation of "Lob City", the Los Angeles Clippers are no longer an easy out for Western Conference teams in the midst of a two-game stretch in LA.
So after losing to the LA Lakers 108-99 on Tuesday, the Houston Rockets have to get right back to work Wednesday night when they face the Clippers in the Staples Center.
Houston, at 2-3, has battled an incredibly tough opening schedule, as all five of their opponents were playoff teams last season. However, both of their victories have come at home, as the Rockets are 0-3 in road games this year, a mark they will have to improve if they hope to sneak into the Western Conference playoff picture.
The Clippers, with rising young star Blake Griffin at the power forward position, will be a tough test for a Rockets team that has struggled with the front-court scoring of Orlando, Memphis and the Lakers already this season.
However, they are much more vulnerable defensibly, especially with the aging duo of Chauncey Billups and Caron Butler on the wings, which could mean another big game for Kevin Martin, who is leading Houston in scoring at 17.8 points a game.
Head over to The Dream Shake for the most up-to-the-minute coverage of the Rockets anywhere, while Clips Nation has you covered for everything Lob City related.