Rockets vs. Thunder: Pregame Primer

vs.

Houston Rockets (22-20, 7-14 road) vs. OKC Thunder (32-9, 18-2 home)

TV: FS OK (Cox 37, HD 722, Tulsa Cox 27, DirectTV 679, UVerse 754)
Stream: Click here
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 97.1 FM Tulsa)
Time: 7:00 CT

Offensive Rating: Thunder – 109.1 (2nd), Rockets– 105.0 (11th)
Defensive Rating: Thunder – 102.5 (13th), Rockets – 105.2 (19th)
Pace: Thunder – 93.5 (5th), Rockets – 91.9 (12th)

View from the enemy: Red 94

Not gonna like, kind of sick of the Thunder playing the Rockets. The Thunder have played them three times in what seems like the past three weeks. Two came on consecutive nights, and a third was one of the uglier losses of the season. Not that the Rockets are bad or anything. In fact, if the season magically ended today, Oklahoma City would play them in the first round. So maybe we should all get used to this matchup, huh?

Houston coming in: The Rockets lost in Cleveland on Sunday.

Three Big Things

1. Samuel Dalembert. One thing that really hurt OKC in the last matchup was Dalembert on the offensive glass. He cleaned up, providing the Rockets a number of extra possessions. He’s an active rebounder and really finds his value in that. OKC has to keep him off the boards.

2. Turnovers. They were a problem last time. Less of them, please.

3. No Kyle Lowry. OKC is 2-0 against Houston without Lowry, 0-1 when they have him. He’s out again tonight with a bacterial infection. So automatic win, right?

Tip at 7:00 CT. Go … just Go.