The Rockets hosted the U.S. women’s soccer national team (USWNT) at Saturday’s practice in Houston, with star Carli Lloyd taking on guards Austin Rivers and Russell Westbrook in a 3-point shooting contest.
The two-time defending FIFA Women’s World Cup champions are in Houston this week for three qualifying games for the 2020 Olympics.
On Friday night, at the same time the Rockets were at Toyota Center for their win over the Mavericks, the USWNT defeated Panama, 8-0, just a few blocks away at BBVA Stadium in downtown Houston. The USWNT now has an unbeaten streak of 25 games and counting.
By early Saturday afternoon, the Rockets were back at practice preparing for their next game, and they welcomed Lloyd and other USWNT team members to the Toyota Center practice court for a fun visit.
From there, it naturally became a bit competitive — as can be expected, given the world-class stature of the athletes involved.
Cayleigh Griffin, courtside reporter for the Rockets on television partner AT&T SportsNet Southwest, was there to document the experience.
Per Griffin, Rockets star James Harden tried to bet that Lloyd could bet Rivers and Westbrook in a shooting contest.
From there, the contest was on. The NBA players pulled it out, but Lloyd made it a tight battle against both Rivers and Westbrook.
On Twitter, the 37-year-old Lloyd took the narrow defeats in stride and thanked the Rockets for inviting the USWNT to practice.
Lloyd knows Houston well, having played for the Houston Dash of the National Women’s Soccer League from 2015 through 2017.
The USWNT will play their third and final Olympic qualifying game in Houston on Monday, Feb. 3 against Costa Rica, with the winner taking the CONCACAF Group A title. That game starts at 7:30 p.m. local time, and it will be televised nationally on Fox Sports 1.
As for basketball, the Rockets (30-18) have their next game on Sunday at Toyota Center, where they will host prized rookie Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans (20-29). It’s a national broadcast on ABC, with a scheduled tip-off at 1 p.m. Central time.
