The Rockets play their remaining four games against the bottom part of the Western Conference, but the advantageous schedule may not mean anything if Houston keeps faltering. A home loss to the struggling and shorthanded Bulls on Thursday was another sign that Houston may not want a first-round playoff matchup with Golden State.
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LOOK AHEAD
Just when we thought the Rockets might want to take control over one of the two remaining playoff spots in the West, they pull something like what happened on Thursday. In the span of five days last week, Houston defeated Toronto and Cleveland, the top two teams in the East, putting pressure on Utah and Dallas in the playoff fight. A return home to face the struggling Bulls was just what Houston needed after overcoming a 20-point second half deficit to win in Cleveland on Tuesday.
In a loss as inexcusable as it was damaging to their postseason hopes, the Rockets led the shorthanded Bulls by 14 points and allowed the lead to disintegrate, sending Houston to one of its most deflating losses of the season. With six games remaining, the Rockets fell to ninth in the conference, a half-game behind the Mavs and Jazz, heading into Sunday’s matchup. There still is hope, however. OKC is already locked into the third seed in the West and may rest some regulars in advance of the postseason. The Rockets then have a date with Dallas before finishing the season against Phoenix, LA Lakers, Minnesota and Sacramento.
INJURIES
The Thunder are injury-free and coach Billy Donovan sat Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka when the team closed out a road trip Tuesday in Detroit. With two days between games, it’s unlikely the regulars rest, but minutes could be reduced.
The Rockets have received nothing this season from first-round pick Sam Dekker and the former Wisconsin Badger is back on the shelf due to his ailing back. Also, forward Terrence Jones remains sidelined with a respiratory illness with no timetable for a return.
KEY MATCHUP
If Kevin Durant can play this well after taking a game off, coach Billy Donovan might want to consider resting his sharp-shooting forward more often. But we know that’s not going to happen. Durant was rested on Tuesday when the Thunder played the second of a back-to-back in Detroit, and he responded by going for 31 points Thursday night in a win over the Clippers. Durant hit 10 of 22 shots and 10 of 11 free throws scoring at least 20 points in his 60th consecutive game. It’s the fourth-longest streak since the ABA/NBA merger. Durant is averaging 28.3 points while shooting 50 percent from the floor in three games against the Rockets. He netted 33 points making 11 of 18 shots in OKC’s 116-108 win on Jan. 29 and tallied 23 points two weeks ago in a narrow home win.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
Houston’s inconsistent play all season may end up preventing them reaching the postseason. Let’s not forget this is virtually the same club that reached the Western Conference final last season before bowing out to Golden State. The whole Ty Lawson thing didn’t work out and there have been rumblings about the relationship between James Harden and Dwight Howard. The sloppy play cost Kevin McHale his job and interim J.B. Bickerstaff hasn’t gotten the team to turn the corner. Now we might think OKC could take this game as an opportunity to rest some of its regulars, they do have the No. 3 seed locked up, after all. But there’s been an ongoing feud between Durant and Westbrook, and former teammate Harden, and you can bet OKC’s duo would love to stick a fork in the Rockets.
Oklahoma City 114, Houston 108
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