Following a tough loss to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, James Harden and the rest of the Houston Rockets set their sights on an opportunity to bounce back as they take on the rolling Phoenix Suns. The Suns are currently on a tear, and are looking to add the Rockets to their list of recent high-profile victims.
Meanwhile, the Charlotte Hornets and the Cleveland Cavaliers put their respective winning streaks on the line when they face each other also this Friday. Click here for a full preview of that game.
The Rockets are once again finding it hard to win consistently. After putting up a four-game win streak, Houston has alternatingly lost and won its last five games, going 2-3 during that span. The Rockets are coming off a 126-113 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday and are eyeing a return to the win column when they take on Phoenix this Friday.
[sc:NBA240banner ]James Harden (27.1 PPG, 6.7 APG) did most of the heavy lifting against Golden State, scoring 33 points and adding six assists. The bearded superstar barely received any help from his fellow starters, who all failed to score more than seven points. Dwight Howard (17.0 PPG, 11.2 RPG) was atrocious against the Warriors, coming up with only seven points although he did grab 11 boards.
Howard may pick up the pieces and get his inside game going against Phoenix’s interior defense that ranks among the worst in the league. The Suns are giving up 46.5 PPG in the shaded area this season.
The Rockets were outscored by Phoenix in the paint (46-40) in their 100-95 win over the Suns on December 6, but they played that game without Howard, who was then nursing a knee injury.
One thing the Rockets need against the Suns is ball protection. In their first meeting with Phoenix, Houston picked up 18 turnovers, which the Suns converted into 18 points.
The Rockets are 3-1 ATS in their last four road games.
Will James Harden and company carry the Rockets past Phoenix again? Create a betting account now and put your own prediction to the test.
Betting on the Phoenix Suns
Led by Eric Bledsoe, the Suns have become too hot to handle for their opponents as of late. Following back-to-back losses to San Antonio and Memphis, the Suns have stitched together four-straight wins, the latest being their 118-113 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday.
Bledsoe (16.8 PPG) had a brilliant all-around performance against the Blazers as he scored a career-high 33 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and served six assists. As usual, Bledsoe got ample help from fellow guards Goran Dragic (17.0 PPG) and Isaiah Thomas (14.9 PPG), who scored 16 and 27 points, respectively.
Thomas’ production off the bench will be a key factor for the Suns. Thomas missed the December matchup with Houston to recuperate from an ankle injury, leaving Gerald Green (16 points) to carry most of the bench’s scoring load.
With Thomas back, though, the Suns will bring a potent set of relievers that puts up 43.7 PPG. The Suns’ bench will provide big matchup problems for Houston, which only gets 26.5 PPG from its bench.
