Rockets at Kings
The Houston Rockets suffered 20-point losses in each of their first three games but are beginning to turn things around as James Harden continues to search for his shooting stroke. The Rockets will try to make it three straight wins when they visit the Sacramento Kings on Friday.
Harden is shooting 29.4 percent from the field so far and appeared to have things turned around with a 12-of-26 performance in a win over Oklahoma City on Monday before slipping to 6-of-22 in an overtime triumph over Orlando on Wednesday. The star guard is attempting 11 3-pointers per game and connecting on just 16.4 percent of those chances while also averaging 4.2 turnovers. The Kings are losers of three straight and are not putting up much of a fight on the defensive end with an average of 112 points allowed in the first five games. Sacramento allowed the Phoenix Suns to shoot 54.2 percent from the field, including 14-of-23 from 3-point range, in a 118-97 setback on Wednesday.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, ROOT (Houston), CSN California (Sacramento)
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (2-3): Houston coach Kevin McHale is unconcerned about Harden’s slow start and expects the shooting percentage to correct itself over time. "James will be OK," McHale told reporters. "He will be fine. The shot will be fine, the shot will come. You just got to go out there and play basketball and I'm not worried too much about it." One Rockets player whose shot is falling is center Dwight Howard, who went 10-of-10 from the field in Wednesday’s win and could play both ends of a back-to-back this weekend if his back isn’t bothering him.
ABOUT THE KINGS (1-4): Sacramento played its second straight game without star center DeMarcus Cousins (Achilles) on Wednesday and clearly missed his presence on the inside as rookie Willie Cauley-Stein started in his place and went scoreless. Cousins will be evaluated before the game on Friday and is considered day-to-day. Veteran center Kosta Koufos is backing up Cauley-Stein and is 13-of-17 from the field in the two games Cousins has missed.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Rockets have taken five straight in the series.
2. Sacramento G Ben McLemore is shooting 37 percent from the field and lost his spot in the starting lineup last game.
3. Houston G Patrick Beverley (concussion) and F Terrence Jones (eye) will miss the game.