The Houston Rockets face the Denver Nuggets and the star (forward Carmelo Anthony) that many Rockets fans want to see the team acquire in a trade. Yao Ming remains Houston's franchise player for at least now though and this game marks his first significant home game in more than a year and a half.

Yao almost put up a double-double (nine points, 11 rebounds) in the Rockets' opener, sat out the team's second game because it was a back-to-back and now the home fans get a firsthand look at the state of his game.

While basketball's opening night doesn't have the iconic history attached to baseball opening days, the Rockets are trying to build an event feel around this home opener. There will be a pregame party that features live music and a beer garden. Recognizing the Halloween season, there also be a haunted house, carnival games and some trick or treating on the upper concourse level. The first 5,000 fans in the arena get a opening night T-shirt free.