Schedule and National TV Snubs

Rockets have 21 national TV games but no Christmas Day game (snub). MLK Day vs Grizzlies, Austin opener vs Spurs, NBA Cup group with Nuggets/Mavs/Suns/Jazz. Tip-off time shifted to 7:30 PM due to arena construction. Early back-to-back challenges and favorable first home games vs Mavs (VanVleet vs Irving ACL returns). A new schedule preview article (1EI3mmf8) highlighted key early matchups against the Mavericks, new-look superteams (Wolves, Sixers, Heat), and rivals (Warriors, Spurs, Thunder), adding depth to the schedule narrative.