Rockets at Knicks
Houston has a great chance to finish off a three-game road trip in winning fashion when it visits stumbling New York on Thursday. The Knicks set a franchise record with their 13th straight loss Wednesday in Washington, dropping a 101-91 decision with another makeshift rotation for first-year head coach Derek Fisher. It was the 23rd loss in 24 games overall for New York, a remarkable swoon that began with its 10th consecutive loss to Houston on Nov. 24 in Texas.
While the Knicks have fallen apart since then, the Rockets are a respectable 14-8, rebounding from a loss at Chicago to begin the road trip by topping Cleveland 105-93 on Wednesday. James Harden led six players in double figures and Houston had a 50-37 advantage on the glass while improving to 4-1 on the road against Eastern Conference opponents. Harden scored 36 points against New York earlier this season while Knicks superstar Carmelo Anthony - who has missed four straight games with a knee injury and likely will not return for another week - was the only player on the losing side to finish in double figures with 14 points.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (24-11): The decision to bring newly acquired Josh Smith off the bench continues to pay dividends. Smith had 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting, five rebounds and two blocked shots in 26 minutes of the win over Cleveland, his third straight contest as a reserve after a failed stint in the starting lineup. The veteran is averaging 17.5 points on 53.3 percent shooting in four games overall as as a reserve with Houston since being traded from Detroit, compared to 5.3 points on 29 percent when among the starting five.
ABOUT THE KNICKS (5-33): Among the many recent roster fluctuations for New York was the addition of guard Langston Galloway, who was signed to a 10-day contract earlier Wednesday and immediately became part of the mix. The rookie, who hit more 3-pointers than any player in St. Joseph's history, made a big one during a late rally for the Knicks on Wednesday and finished with seven points in 17 minutes overall. Fellow point guards Jose Calderon and Shane Larkin combined for 27 points and five steals in the loss.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Houston's winning streak in Madison Square Garden is at four.
2. New York ranks fourth in the NBA in foul shooting (78.1 percent) while Houston sits 28th (70.5).
3. Rockets C Dwight Howard is averaging 17.3 points and 15.3 rebounds over a stretch of three straight double-doubles.