The Houston Rockets (21-19) are reeling after having lost five in a row, their longest losing streak since April of last season, and if they want to turn it around, they're going to have to beat a tough defensive team in the Indiana Pacers (24-16) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse at 7 p.m. Friday night, where they've won 11 in a row.
The Rockets are coming off a narrow 105-100 loss to Dallas on Wednesday night, where Harden was held to a mere 20 points and a strong effort from Jeremy Lin, who had 19 points for that game, having been for naught. The Rockets are tied for first in the NBA, tied with Oklahoma City with 105.4 points per game.
Meanwhile, the Pacers are coming off a Wednesday loss to the Magic but have won seven of their last 10 games and are boasting the No.1 ranked defense in lowest opponent points allowed (holding opponents to only 89.1 points per game.)
Latinos Post breaks down the key match-ups for tonight's game:
Power forward: David West, Pacers vs. Patrick Patterson, Rockets
West has been a steady force all year for the Pacers, averaging 15.2 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. Patterson hasn't gotten his starter's leg back yet after returning to the lineup from the bench post-injury, and against a sound player like West, it's hardly the ideal place to be testing out his legs.
Advantage: Pacers
Small forward: Paul George vs. Chandler Parsons, Rockets
The agile and quick George is putting up 18.8 points in the last five games to go with 10.8 rebounds. Arguably the Pacers' most dangerous offensive threat, Parsons, who is heating up on offense with 16.8 points in the last five games, is also going to have to guard George carefully.
Advantage: Pacers
Center: Roy Hibbert, Pacers vs. Omer Asik, Rockets
The 7'2" Hibbert is a defensive fiend, averaging 2.7 blocks this season, fourth-best in the NBA. The Rockets counter with the seven-foot Asik, who has averaged double figures in scoring (10.0) and rebounding (10.6) in the last five games and is a defensive expert. Asik's main job will be to neutralize Hibbert's defense when Houston tries to score, while Hibbert will have to get physical and imposing in the lane if he wants to stop the highest-scoring offense in the NBA.
Advantage: Even
Shooting Guard: Lance Stephenson, Pacers vs. James Harden, Rockets
Filling in for the injured star Danny Granger, Stephenson can be productive, as his 17-point game against Charlotte on Jan. 12 shows. A good pickpocket with steals, he'll need to get very aggressive with the game-changing Harden, whose 26.3 points per game average is fifth-highest in the league. After having a slow night against Dallas on 5-for-23 shooting, expect Harden to be looking for redemption.
Advantage: Rockets
Point Guard: George Hill, Pacers vs. Jeremy Lin, Rockets
A potent scorer at the point position, Hill has been hitting double figures in scoring in the last four games, including a 19-point night against Charlotte for a 96-88 Pacers win last week. Lin, who had a very strong 19-point game against the Mavericks on Wednesday, has had two straight games where he has scored back-to-back double figures in scoring. If this is the start of Lin getting hot on offense, it couldn't have come at a better time; against the best defense in the NBA, the Rockets are going to need every bit of it.
Advantage: Pacers
Game time starts at 7 p.m. EST. Live score is available via TV Companion, here.
Live Streaming for the Game is can be seen via ESPN. (Service Provider Required)