Houston Rockets (15-8) at Golden State Warriors (13-10)
Tipoff: Fri. 12/13/2013, 7:30 PM PDT
Location: ORACLE Arena, Oakland, CA
TV: CSN Bay Area/ESPN | Radio: KNBR 680 AM
Livetweet: @LetsGoWarriors (by @goldenstatenz)
The Golden State Warriors take on the Houston Rockets tonight at Oracle Arena. These two teams played each other just a week ago in Houston. In this game, the Warriors were blown out and ultimately lost the game 105-83. Like many other games this season, they got off to a slow start and couldn’t recover.
On Wednesday, the Warriors had the same problem against the Dallas Mavericks. They struggled with their offense early on in the game, and they got down by as many as 18 points. However, the Warriors showed their resiliency and mounted another incredible comeback. Draymond Green contributed in so many ways, and Stephen Curry caught fire at the right time. The Warriors won the game off of Curry’s first game-winner in the NBA.
When the Warriors face off against the Rockets today, they need to play quality basketball for all 48 minutes. They’ve already proven that they can come back from a deficit, no matter how big it is. However, they can make it a lot easier on themselves if they play with energy and execute their game plan from the start of the game.
Both the Rockets and the Golden State Warriors made significant additions to their rosters in the offseason. The Warriors, of course, added the versatile veteran Andre Iguodala, and the Rockets signed Dwight Howard. The Warriors and the Rockets will be fighting for two of the top four spots in the Western Conference this season. Here are some intriguing matchups to look for in this game:
1. Klay Thompson vs. James Harden
Thompson is known for his three-point shooting, but he has started to gain more respect around the league for his defense. Thompson will have the difficult task of guarding Harden, one of the best players in the NBA. Harden became a superstar last season. He’s a player with a wide range of skills. He can drive to the basket, get to the free throw line, handle the ball, distribute, and can shoot the three pretty well. Harden is crafty with his shots and wants to be fouled, so Thompson will have to limit his fouls or at least use them wisely. On the other hand, Harden isn’t exactly known for his defensive prowess, so it will be interesting to see if Harden can keep up with Thompson’s three-point shooting and his quick release.
2. Andrew Bogut vs. Dwight Howard
Bogut and Howard are two of the best defensive centers in the NBA. They’re both the defensive anchors of their respective teams, they’re both ferocious shot blockers, and they’re both monsters on the glass. Per 48 minutes, Bogut is averaging 16.8 rebounds and three blocks per game this season, and Howard is averaging 19.1 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game. It will certainly be exciting to see two of the best defensive centers in the NBA go head-to-head.
3. Stephen Curry vs. Jeremy Lin
Lin is in no way on the same level as Curry in terms of superstardom, but this will be an interesting matchup because these two are good friends off the court.
“But I told him going into the season, friendships go out the way when you step on the court,” Curry said about his friendship with Lin. “You have to have that competitive fire no matter who is across from you on the line.”
Every time they’ve faced each other in the past, it has been incredibly entertaining, so hopefully we’ll see more of that fierce competition between them tonight.
4. Harrison Barnes vs. Chandler Parsons
Both of these young players are up-and-coming small forwards with a lot of potential. Both Barnes and Parsons have experience playing power forward in small lineups, and they will probably match up at the power forward position at some point when the Warriors and Rockets face off tonight. Parsons plays a solid all-around game. Barnes plays differently and focuses more on utilizing his strength, quickness, and athleticism. This matchup will be interesting because of their opposing styles and their potential.
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