Rockets at Thunder
Russell Westbrook and James Harden are filling several roles for their respective teams and performing at MVP levels. The two will get a chance to test themselves against each other when Harden and the Houston Rockets visit Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday.
Westbrook's production pushed the Thunder out to a 6-1 start but it has not been enough during a four-game slide. The superstar delivered 33 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists on Monday but could not get any help and Oklahoma City struggled to stay in the game in a 104-88 loss at Detroit. Harden (30.3 points, 12.6 assists, 7.9 rebounds) is the only player in the league enjoying similar production to Westbrook (32 points, 9.9 assists and 9.7 rebounds) in the triple-double categories and put up 23 points in the first quarter on Monday as the Rockets breezed to a 115-88 win over the Philadelphia 76ers - their third win in the last four games. Harden led Houston in scoring in nine of the first 10 games.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ROOT (Houston), FSN Oklahoma
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (6-4): The lone game in which Harden did not lead the team in scoring was Saturday against San Antonio, when Eric Gordon came off the bench and scored 27 points. Gordon returned to the starting lineup on Monday and was not as productive but just as efficient, managing 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting (4-of-7 from beyond the arc). The injured-plagued 27-year-old played in all 10 games so far and is averaging 16.6 points in 31.8 minutes while shooting 41.9 percent from 3-point range.
ABOUT THE THUNDER (6-5): Westbrook does not have a teammate averaging as much as Gordon's 16.6 points, and Westbrook was the team's lone starter to post double-digit points on Monday while Jerami Grant's 11 points led the reserves. Head coach Billy Donovan used the lopsided nature of Monday's game to test new lineup combinations had Grant on the floor 26 minutes. "You get the opportunity through these games to gather some information," Donovan told reporters. "As you’re trying to change the momentum of the game, you get a chance to see, is that a lineup that’s worth investing in a little bit? You’re always trying to do different things lineup-wise or maybe utilize guys who didn’t get an opportunity the night before."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Rockets PG Patrick Beverley (knee surgery) is not expected to play on Wednesday but could make his season debut on Thursday against Portland.
2. Thunder rookie PF Domantas Sabonis is 2-of-11 from the field in the last two games.
3. Houston took six of the last eight meetings overall but fell twice at Oklahoma City last season.