SPORTS WEEK OPENS WITH BASKETBALL HEAVY SCHEDULE

WITH FOOTBALL SEASON at its end, the focus is on basketball. There will be an abundance to begin the week with a pair of games from the Rockets leading into the usual Tuesday night feast of boys’ and girls’ basketball across the area. There will also be a vast share of boys’ and girls’ soccer as each continue the early stages of the regular season. SUNDAY: The Rockets make their only regular season visit to Orlando to meet the Magic beginning at 5:00pm. AT&T Sportsnet Southwest will begin its pregame coverage at 4:30pm. MONDAY: Being in Florida was too brief for the Rockets, who return home to welcome the Grizzlies for a 7:00pm tip at Toyota Center. Houston won the first meeting between the teams on New Year’s Eve, as James Harden poured in 43 points on the way to a 113-101 over Memphis. AT&T Sportsnet Southwest will have the pregame show beginning at 6:30pm. TUESDAY: A busy night of girls’ basketball begins with La Marque at Brazosport, Galveston Ball at Goose Creek Memorial and Crosby at Santa Fe at 6:30pm. Friendswood at Baytown Lee, Clear Creek at Clear Brook, Clear Falls at Clear Springs, Clear Lake at Dickinson and Galena Park at Texas City are each 7:00pm starts. The boys’ hoops docket will have Clear Brook at Clear Creek, Clear Springs at Clear Falls, Dickinson at Clear Lake, Santa Fe at Crosby, Baytown Lee at Friendswood, Texas City at Galena Park and Goose Creek Memorial at Galveston Ball starting at 7:00pm. Brazosport at state-ranked La Marque tips off at 7:30pm. Five matches are on tap in boys’ soccer. Strake Jesuit at Clear Creek, Pasadena at Clear Falls, Westfield at Clear Springs, Santa Fe at Cy-Fair and Clear Brook at Texas City will each begin at 7:30pm. The girls’ soccer schedule will have Clear Creek at Dawson beginning at 7:00pm, with Texas City at Alvin and Pearland at Clear Brook (at Challenger-Columbia Stadium) starting at 7:30pm