West contenders Oklahoma City Thunder (21-15) and Houston Rockets (27-9) are set to clash in a highly-anticipated 2016-2017 NBA regular season match on Jan. 5, Thursday at the Toyota Center.
Start Time and Streaming Info
The game starts at 8:00 p.m. ET. It can be viewed live online thru the NBA League Pass.
Preview
OKC has been on a slump as of late as the team is on a two-game losing skid. They have lost three of their last four matches after winning four straight and are now settled in the seventh spot in the Western Conference standings, nine-and-a-half games behind conference leaders Golden State Warriors.
In their most recent game on Wednesday night, the Thunder lost to the Charlotte Hornets, 123-112, on the road at the Spectrum Center, as per SB Nation.
Despite the loss, Russell Westbrook almost earned his 17th triple-double of the season with 33 points, 15 rebounds, and eight assists in 34 minutes of play. However, he shot poorly from the field, particularly from the three-point range where he was only 2-for-12.
Starters Steven Adams and Victor Oladipo both netted 18 points with the former also grabbing 12 boards while the latter had five assists. Enes Kanter was a force off the bench with 22 points and eight rebounds in a losing effort.
Meanwhile, the Rockets won for the fifth straight time as they turned back the Washington Wizards, 101-91, at their home court of Toyota Center on Monday, Yahoo Sports reported.
James Harden had his ninth triple-double of the season, second to Westbrook, with 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists playing 42 minutes. The same as Westbrook, he also shot poorly from the field, going 6-for-24 in field goals including a 2-for-11 stint from beyond the arc.
Montrezl Harrell and Trevor Ariza fired 14 and 10 points respectively with Harrell hauling down nine boards while Ariza had six rebounds, five assists, and three steals in another impressive all-around performance.
Eric Gordon led the team in scoring with 31 points off the bench, shooting 11-for-18 from the field and 6-for-12 from three-point range. He also had two boards and three assists.
Prediction
The Thunder have struggled on the road this season with an 8-9 record while the Rockets have protected their home court well with a 14-3 slate. Another double-digit win for Houston is predicted.