Reeling from a lopsided and deflating 124-94 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Houston Rockets (16-14) try to get back to their winning ways, but will have to face the surging Atlanta Hawks (19-9) tonight when they come to the Toyota Center in Houston, Tex.
Houston has not been a kind place for the Hawks, who have won only twice in Space City in 21 years, but behind a four-game winning streak, even without star Josh Smith, they hope to have enough momentum behind Jeff Teague to notch their third win.
Meanwhile, the Rockets, who gave up a season-high 24 turnovers in their blowout loss to OKC on Saturday, should benefit from a short rest after playing four times in five nights. And James Harden and Jeremy Lin each had big nights when they beat the Hawks 109-102 on Nov. 2, Harden notching 45 points and Lin putting up 21 of his own.
Latinos Post breaks down the key match-ups for tonight's game:
Power Forward: Marcus Morris, Rockets vs. Zaza Pachulia, Hawks
Patrick Patterson is back, but seeing as how they started him off the bench, it might be safe to assume that coach Kevin McHale is being cautious in easing back the talented Patterson into the starting lineup after coming off a foot injury.
Therefore, that leaves Morris, who has been steady with 11.6 points and 4.0 rebounds in the last 10 games for Houston, against Pachulia, who will be filling in for the injured superstar Josh Smith-out with a hip injury-who scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds against Houston on Nov. 2. At 6'11", Pachulia will have the height advantage, but playing out of position, Morris may be more versatile at the four spot.
Advantage: Rockets
Center: Omer Asik, Rockets vs. Al Horford, Hawks
While averaging double figures in both points and rebounds through December, Asik has raised his figures in rebounds, but seen his points decline in the last 3 games. Still, Asik should be a formidable opponent when he faced the athletic and well-shooting Horford, who has been scoring 14.2 points and swiping 8.7 rebounds in the last 10 games.
Advantage: Even
Small Forward: Chandler Parsons, Rockets, vs. DeShawn Stevenson, Hawks
Parsons had an off-night against the Thunder, shooting only 5-of-13 from the field for only 10 points, but has been having a strong five game stretch in which he is averaging 15.2 points and shooting 53.2 percent from the field.
Countering him will be Stevenson, who is as strong a defensive player as you can get. A capable defender who can guard even LeBron James and Dwayne Wade, Parsons will have his work cut out for him as he tries to match up against the crafty 12-year veteran.
Advantage: Even
Shooting guard: James Harden, Rockets vs. Kyle Korver, Hawks
This is where the Hawks will miss having Joe Johnson around, after their former star player left for Brooklyn this offseason.
The last time Harden played the Rockets, he cooked their gooses for 45 points and 7 assists in a game that signaled that Harden had arrived as a superstar in the league. And he has only gotten better, emerging as one of the top five scorers in the league and scorching opponents for 27.6 points this month.
Korver has been producing solidly in the last five games, tallying 11.8 points and 4.6 rebounds, but it will take more than solid if he wants to stop the irresistible force that Harden has become
Advantage: Rockets
Point guard: Jeremy Lin, Rockets vs. Jeff Teague, Hawks
This will be an intriguing match-up.
Lin, who was averaging more than 17 points and 7 assists before having a dreadful shooting night against OKC on Saturday, has been percolating in the last few weeks, rediscovering the shooting touch and explosive drive that made him the top story in the NBA last season. And he had a solid 21 points and 6.1 assists against Atlanta last time around, so we know he can score against the Hawks.
But with Lin still having a tough time on turnovers, he will have to be careful against Teague, who has 1.5 steals this season and is a quality point guard, dishing 7.2 assists and netting 15.0 points in the last five games. Which one will dominate the point tonight?
Advantage: Even
Bench
Devin Harris is providing quality minutes and points off the bench for Atlanta, while Louis Williams' 14.8 points from the reserves corps have been key for the Hawks. But with Pachulia moving into the starter slot for tonight, their depth is taking a hit.
Carlos Delfino is still listed as questionable for tonight due to an illness, but Toney Douglas, who had a solid game with 17 points against the Thunder on Saturday, should help bolster Houston's ranks, while Patterson provides an extra spark as he works to get back into starting condition.
Advantage: Even
Live score is available via TV Companion, here.
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