The Houston Rockets (17-14) are starting to shake off the effects of two major losses to San Antonio and Oklahoma City, but face a stiff challenge tonight at 8 p.m. EST against rookie sensation Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Hornets (7-24) at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
While Houston has won seven of 10 games, they were looking deflated after losing a tough game to the Spurs last week, followed by a blowout loss to the Thunder the following game.
"Tonight was a must win for us," said Harden, averaging 26.1 points to rank fifth in the league. "We were on a five-game win streak and then we had two kind of bad losses and we needed to come back and play our brand of basketball and do whatever it takes to get a victory. We're getting better. We're playing as a team."
But the Hornets, who just got back Eric Gordon after he returned from injury, have something to prove, as well, coming off a 95-86 loss to the Hawks on Tuesday.
Latinos Post.com takes a look at some of the key matchups between these two teams heading into tonight's game:
Power Forward: Patrick Patterson, Rockets vs. Anthony Davis, Hornets
This should be a fun match-up to watch between two up-and-coming young power forwards.
Patterson, only recently returned from a foot injury, is trying to return to form after starting out impressively for the Rockets earlier this season, scoring 12.5 points on 48 percent shooting so far in 2012-13.
Meanwhile, Davis, the odds-on favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award, has been struggling to get back to his previously dominating self after an ankle injury he sustained in mid-December. Coming off a dismal 4-of-9 shooting night against the Hawks on Tuesday where he scored only nine points, Davis is missing a step. And that's bad news for a Hornets team that depends on his scoring and rebounding dominance.
Advantage: Even
Center: Omer Asik, Rockets vs. Robin Lopez, Hornets
Speaking of key match-ups, it's another battle of the big men as both these seven-footers go toe-to-toe tonight.
Asik, one of the four players Houston nominated for All-Star consideration this season, looked consistent as ever on Monday, scoring 11 points to go along with 17 rebounds in a dominant win against Atlanta.
But he'll certainly face a challenge against Lopez, who is scoring 16.0 points and grabbing 6.8 rebounds in the last five games, which include 24 and 29-point performances against the Pacers and Magic, respectively.
Advantage: Even
Small Forward: Chandler Parsons, Rockets, vs. Lance Thomas, Hornets
While normally a versatile scoring threat, Parsons has been off in the last two games, shooting a combined 7-of-22 from the field for only 7.0 points. The athletic power forward could still find a way to rebound to form tonight, however.
Thomas, in his sophomore year from Duke University, plays at a high-energy pace for New Orleans, but isn't scoring at the levels that a starting role warrants. If he doesn't focus on containing Parsons tonight, then Houston could dominate this match-up.
Advantage: Rockets
Shooting guard: James Harden, Rockets vs. Austin Rivers, Hornets
Rivers did a decent job in the last 10 games, averaging 8.2 points and 2.2 rebounds.
But against Harden, a likely NBA All-Star, who is torching defenses around the league, averaging 28.4 points in the last five games, Rivers is going to need to get physical and aggressive with the man who has taught defenders around the league to "Fear the Beard."
Advantage: Rockets
Point guard: Jeremy Lin, Rockets, vs. Greivis Vasquez, Hornets
Lin has a good night against the Hawks on Tuesday, scoring 16 points and dealing eight assists as he continues to improve to higher levels alongside super-scorer Harden, providing Houston with one of the hottest backcourts in the league.
Vasquez has been red hot as well over the last five games, notching 18.8 points and 9.6 assists. Question: What happens when you get two young point guards playing great and put them up head-to-head? Answer: One heck of a match-up to watch.
Advantage: Even
Bench
Ryan Anderson and Roger Mason will provide nice depth for New Orleans, with Anderson coming off a 23-point night against Atlanta on Tuesday. And Eric Gordon, who is still trying to get back into shape after missing 29 games with knee issues, provides speed at shooting guard.
Meanwhile, Carlos Delfino continues to prove his worth, providing a pop with 22 points off the bench on Monday when Houston burned the Hawks. Toney Douglas continues to give Houston added depth at the point guard position while power forward Greg Smith can give the Rockets quality minutes.
Advantage: Houston
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