The Rockets are in stop-the-pain mode losers of four games in a row. Those losses have come to the Spurs, Hornets on the road, Pelicans on the road and Heat in which Houston blew a 13-point lead. I don't consider the Knicks better than any of those teams. 
However, the 12-15 Knicks definitely are improved under Tom Thibodeau. The Rockets aren't going to have Christian Wood and Victor Oladipo. P.J. Tucker probably isn't going to play either. Still, the Rockets aren't lacking in talent with John Wall, Eric Gordon and DeMarcus Cousins. 
The Knicks dominated inside in beating the Wizards, 109-91, on the road Friday night. The Wizards rested Bradley Beal. The 6-17 Wizards rank last defensively surrendering 120.3 points. The Knicks scoring 109 points isn't impressive. New York ranks last in scoring, in fact, at 102.7 points per game. Houston averages seven points more per game. 
Cousins' matchup became a lot easier when Knicks center Mitchell Robinson suffered a broken hand against Washington. That's a tough blow for the Knicks, who also are playing without rest here.