Rockets at Hornets
The Houston Rockets have been the most generous team in the NBA this season - and that has cost them several spots in the Western Conference race. The Rockets look to climb back above .500 - and take better care of the basketball - as they visit the New Orleans Hornets in a Friday night showdown. Houston has dropped eight of nine to fall to the break-even point. The cold streak began with a loss to the Hornets, and continued Wednesday as they fell 105-95 to the Denver Nuggets.
Houston committed 23 turnovers in both of those defeats, and now leads the league with 16.7 per game. They'll face the Hornets for the final time this season after prevailing in two of the first three encounters. New Orleans saw its recent hot streak come to an end as they went cold in the second half of a 106-102 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. The Hornets erupted for 64 first-half points but couldn't sustain their hot shooting, losing for just the third time in their last 10 games.
TV: 8 p.m ET, Comcast SportsNet Houston, Fox Sports New Orleans
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (22-22): James Harden's star is swiftly rising despite averaging a whopping 3.9 turnovers per game, second only to Philadelphia 76ers guard Jrue Holiday. Turnover troubles didn't prevent Harden from being selected to his first All-Star Game as a reserve. "It hasn’t hit me yet," Harden told the Houston Chronicle shortly after finding out he had made the Western Conference roster. "I’m sure when that weekend comes and I put on that All-Star jersey, it will hit me." Harden ranks fourth in the NBA at 25.8 points per game while adding 5.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists.
ABOUT THE HORNETS (14-28): New Orleans won't be sending anyone to the midseason spectacle in Houston next month, but still made plenty of news off the court Wednesday. The team confirmed that it will be renamed the Pelicans beginning in 2013-14. The club also unveiled the new logo, featuring a menacing pelican carrying a basketball in its beak. "When we purchased the basketball team, it was a priority to change the name to reflect our culture, our community and our resolve," Hornets owner Tom Benson said in a statement. "The Pelican does that."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The home team has won the last seven meetings.
2. Harden has averaged 28.7 points in the three games against New Orleans this season.
3. Rockets PG Jeremy Lin is shooting just 7-for-24 over his last three outings.