Rockets at Kings
James Harden explodes for points, dazzles with passes for assists and also often struggles with turnover issues. The star guard will try to keep the latter issue under control when he and the Houston Rockets visit the Sacramento Kings on Friday.
Harden committed a season-worst 12 turnovers in Wednesday's 115-102 home loss to the Toronto Raptors, and his 5.8 average is the worst in the NBA. "I'll take this one on the chin," Harden told reporters after the Toronto contest. "Just careless with the basketball, silly turnovers, just not being aggressive." The other parts of Harden's game are just fine as he ranks fourth in the NBA in scoring at 28.5 points and leads the league in assists at 12.5. Sacramento is looking for its first three-game winning streak after beating the Raptors and the Oklahoma City Thunder in its last two contests.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, ROOT (Houston), CSN California (Sacramento)
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (9-6): Houston committed a season-worst 28 turnovers against Toronto to see a three-game winning streak come to an end, and forward Ryan Anderson was miffed over some of the miscues. "I just think we didn't make characteristic plays," Anderson told reporters. "We didn't play like we really have been. I don't know what the reason was but we were just a little flat." Harden contributed 29 points and 15 assists and he has handed out 15 or more assists six times this season.
ABOUT THE KINGS (6-9): Center DeMarcus Cousins is on a roll with four straight double-doubles and he registered 36 points and 13 rebounds in the win over the Thunder. Cousins, who ranks sixth in the NBA with a 27.5 scoring average, topped 30 points in three of the past five games and six times this season. "DeMarcus is one of the best, if not the best center in the game," reserve power forward Kosta Koufos told reporters. "He can do it all, shoot the 3, post up, put it on the floor. You name it, he can do it."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Rockets won eight of the past nine meetings.
2. Sacramento PG Darren Collison scored a season-best 21 points against the Thunder for his fifth straight double-digit outing.
3. Houston connected on 10 or more 3-pointers in 14 consecutive games since hitting just seven in the season-opening loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.