It's a big Western Conference showdown tonight in Houston when the Houston Rockets (8-8) look to extend their home game winning streak to six when they take on the Los Angeles Lakers (8-9). Here's a look at some of the key matchups to look for tonight:
James Harden vs. Kobe Bryant
If ever there was a marquee match-up-not just for the game, but for the week-it would have to be this one.
At 24.1 points per game, Harden is the league's fifth best scorer at of Tuesday. Now, he gets to match up with Bryant, the No.1 scorer in the league with 27.3 points per game.
The last time these two faced off on the court, Harden scored 20 points, but Bryant out-dueled him with 22 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for his 18th career triple-double in the Lakers' 119-108 victory over Houston on Nov. 18.
Entering Tuesday night, Harden has only been scoring 19.6 points over the last three games, shooting only 37.2 percent on 19-of-51 field goal attempts.
Meanwhile, Bryant is looking like his dominant self, averaging 29.3 points in the last three games on 41.4 percent shooting.
The real challenge is whether or not the aging Bryant can match up head-to-head against the 23-year-old Harden, who has an explosive step to the hoop and has many ways to beat his man.
Jeremy Lin vs. Darius Morris
Lin hasn't been off to a hot start this season, scoring only 10.9 points a night. The last time he played the Lakers in November, Lin scored only five points on 2-of-9 field goal shooting.
He could be looking to gain a little bit of redemption against Darius Morris, who scored 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting in their last matchup. But at 6'4" amd an athletic 190 pounds, Morris's quickness and size could pose a problem for Lin on defense-which is normally not a strength of his.
Dwight Howard vs. Omer Asik
In this battle of the paint, the offensive juggernaut Howard will face a steep test in facing Asik, the Rockets' most reliable defensive stopper.
Howard torched the Rockets for 28 points and 13 rebounds in the Lakers' first game against Houston in November, giving Asik-who scored only eight points and grabbed nine rebounds that night-all kinds of trouble in the paint.
Look for these two to really battle down low in the paint for rebounds. Asik is third in the league with 12.3 rebounds a night while Howard is just behind him at No. 4 with 11.3 rebounds.
Patterson vs. ???
The rapidly climbing Patterson has been on a tear. Patterson has scored 19 or more points in five of the last six games, and 20 or more points in the last three games in a row.
But instead of facing the ever-dangerous and physical defender Pau Gasol tonight, Gasol has been pulled at the last minute due to knee issues, leaving any number of bench options for the Lakers to go to.
If played correctly, this could be a match-up that Patterson can exploit. Look for him to have a big game tonight.
Match's Live Score
The Live score is provided by NBA's TV Companion (Launch the free interactive)
Game Schedule
Tip-off occurs at 8 p.m. EST; Toyota Center, Houston
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