Rockets at Warriors
The Houston Rockets are coming off one of the more impressive performances of the season and should be well-rested despite playing the second end of a back-to-back. The Golden State Warriors will attempt to slow the visiting Rockets on Thursday. Dwight Howard posted 20 points and 13 rebounds in a 134-108 win at the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday as all the starters sat out the fourth quarter.
Howard was playing against the Lakers in Los Angeles for the first time since leaving the team over the summer and seemed to delight in the boos he received while dunking emphatically every chance he got. The Warriors hope to have Andrew Bogut around to keep Howard away from the rim but the center is still day-to-day and missed his fifth straight on Wednesday with a shoulder injury. Golden State has traded wins and losses in six games this month as it toils at the bottom of the Western Conference playoff bracket.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT, CSN Houston
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (37-17): Houston’s eight-game winning streak is the longest current run in the NBA and has pushed the team into third place in the West. The 134 points scored on Wednesday marked a season high for the Rockets, who are averaging 112.1 points during the winning streak and hung 116 on the Warriors in their last trip to Golden State on Dec. 13. James Harden scored 26 points in that game and put up 29 points and 11 assists in the win over the Lakers.
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (32-22): Golden State earned a 101-92 win at Sacramento on Wednesday in its first game since a crushing loss to the Miami Heat before the All-Star break. The time off seemed to do forward David Lee some good, as the former All-Star posted 23 points and 11 rebounds after dealing with a shoulder issue prior to the break. The Warriors have spent the first 54 games trying to find the right mix of players for the second unit and tinkered again on Wednesday by trading seldom-used guards Kent Bazemore and MarShon Brooks to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for veteran guard Steve Blake.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Harden is 10-for-19 from 3-point range in his last three games.
2. Houston has taken three straight at Golden State and seven of the last eight in the series overall.
3. The Warriors hope to have Blake in uniform for the game on Thursday.