Rockets vs. Sixers: 5 things to watch

, they looked especially road weary, starting slowly and fading badly late.

Returning home to face the 76ers, who have been off since Friday’s loss at Memphis and have a five-game winning streak against the Rockets, will not make things easier. The Rockets will begin piling up home games to make up for all the time they have spent on the road. But they have lived up to the NBA adage that the toughest game of a long road trip is the first one back at home, twice losing to the Clippers following four-game road trips.

Houston is 3-5 at home this season, with wins in its previous two home games. But the last time the Rockets topped Philadelphia, Sixers guard James Harden had a 44-point triple double for the Rockets, Clint Capela scored 30 points and Russell Westbrook had 20, topping Ben Simmons’ 29 points. Just a few things have changed since then.Normally when James Harden plays at Toyota Center, mentions of “he’s back" refer to his return to Houston, where he enjoyed his greatest seasons.

He appeared rejuvenated in his nine games before the injury this season, averaging 22 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds per game. That falls far short of the 29.6 points he averaged in nine seasons with the Rockets, but the Sixers needed him to initiate offense, particularly with Tyrese Maxey sharing the backcourt early in the season before Maxey’s injury. With Maxey out, Harden’s absence was even more conspicuous. The Sixers went 8-6 without him.

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