The Houston Rockets will host the Los Angeles Clippers in a Western Conference battle on Friday night. This is a rematch of a game last Saturday that was won by the Clippers by a score of 115-112. The Houston Rockets will try to get revenge on the Clippers with their All-Star point guard back in the lineup.
The Houston Rockets lone win of the season came against the Los Angeles Lakers last weekend. The Rockets enter this game with a 1-3 record and are in last place in the Southwest Division. The Los Angeles Clippers have defeated both the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder to bring a 2-2 record into this game. The Houston Rockets are 2.5 point favorites at home over the Clippers.
Paul In, Harden Out For Rockets
The Houston Rockets will be without last season’s Most Valuable Player, James Harden, for this game against the Clippers. Harden suffered a hamstring injury in the Rockets loss to the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night and will not be able to suit up. Chris Paul will be back in the Rockets lineup after missing the previous two games with a suspension. Paul will be facing his former team, and former coach Doc Rivers in this game.
James Harden leads the Rockets with 28.5 points per game this season, to go along with 9.5 assists per game. The MVP has struggled with turnovers, coughing the ball up an average of five times per game. Carmelo Anthony was brought in to provide more scoring off of the bench for the Rockets, but he is averaging just 11 points per game.
Clippers Looking For Depth
The Los Angeles Clippers are off to a solid 2-2 start this season, but they lack the depth needed to be a top NBA team. The Clippers have just three players averaging more than ten points per game this season, with Tobias Harris leading the way. Harris is averaging 23.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in his first full season with the Clippers. Los Angeles will need to find a way to score points if they are going to keep pace with the Rockets in this game.
The Clippers have been one of the best defensive teams in the NBA this season, which is usually a staple of Doc Rivers led teams. Los Angeles has given up just 106.8 points per game this season, which is top-10 in the NBA. Center Montrezl Harrell has been a defensive force for the Clippers, averaging 2.3 blocks per game.
Rockets Win At Home
The Los Angeles Clippers were able to sneak by the Rockets a week ago, but the roles should be reversed in this game. Chris Paul will be looking to have a big night against his former coach and team. The Rockets score a ton of points at home, and the Clippers simply don’t have the firepower to keep up with Houston. Bet the Houston Rockets -2.5 over the Clippers on Friday night.
