Game 71: Houston Rockets At Oklahoma City Thunder Preview

The Houston Rockets held off the Atlanta Hawks for as long as they could before succumbing to them this past Saturday.

It was certainly a game of ups-and-downs, runs and all of the sorts.

It even included a brief episode of “What Has Dwight Done Now?” where he was caught using Stick ‘Em to get a better grip on the ball.

This, of course, forced the league to send memos to all franchises, reminding them that the substance is banned for use in the NBA.

The Rockets were given a warning about what happened; and luckily, no penalties were doled out.

But at least the Rockets fought hard against Hawks but they knew the writing was on the wall toward the end.

But it’s on to the next one!

And this one is a doozy — they’ll be taking on the 48-22 Oklahoma City Thunder, who are coasting in the playoffs, having already clinched a playoff spot late last week.

There’s a strong possibility James Harden won’t be available or at least 100 percent so can the Rockets overcome such a challenge?

We’ll have to see.

This game will be on prime-time, scheduled to kick-off TNT’s Tuesday double-header for tonight.

So who’s leading the charge for the Thunder?

More from House of Houston

Kevin Durant is the leading scorer (28.0 PPG) and top board-getter (8.3 RPG). Russell Westbrook is the steals king (2.10 SPG) and assist man (10.4 APG). Serge Ibaka is the premier shot-blocker (1.90 BPG).

Let’s talk about what the Thunder do well.

They’re offensively potent. The Thunder are ranked 2nd in the league in offensive efficiency, putting up 109.8 points per 100 possessions. They’re also decent at defense, being ranked 12th in defensive efficiency, allowing 102.9 points per 100 possessions.

They are rebounding beasts. The Thunder are 1st in the league in rebound rate, taking down a whopping 54.8 percent of missed shots.

They’re great shooters. The Thunder are ranked 3rd in effective field goal percentage (52.4) and tied for 2nd — with the San Antonio Spurs — in true shooting percentage (56.6).

Injuries:

For the first time in eons, James Harden is actually on the injury report. But the toll of an 82-game season can be a grind so it’s quite understandable. He has been dealing with a sore left foot since against the Atlanta Hawks this past Saturday. He did not practice yesterday and has been ruled as QUESTIONABLE for tonight. I’d imagine that Harden would give it a go but they do need to rest him once the playoff picture becomes more defined for the team as I’d like to see him fresh. If he doesn’t, there’s a strong possibility we’d start Michael Beasley as he has filled in quite well when Harden would get a rest.

Kyle Singler has been dealing with a sore back and has been held out of a couple of games. He has been putting up shots in practice as of yesterday but I’d likely rule him as DOUBTFUL for tonight.

Sources: Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle and Erik Horne of the Oklahoman.

Three Things to Watch:

Patrick Beverley vs. Russell Westbrook
Dwight Howard vs. Steven Adams
Donatas Motiejunas vs. Serge Ibaka
(Bonus) Trevor Ariza vs. Kevin Durant

Prediction:

109-104 in a Rockets’ loss.

The Rockets continue their road trip to take on the Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. CDT.

The game will be televised on TNT and broadcast on SportsTalk 790 AM (KBME) and La Ranchera 850 AM (KEYH) in Spanish.

Go Rockets!

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