Off their seventh win in 10 games, the Houston Rockets (29-25) are one again on a roll, but to keep that momentum going, James Harden (maybe) and Jeremy Lin will have to contend with Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and the red-hot L.A. Clippers (37-17) Wednesday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif.
Houston is coming off an impressive 116-107 win against Golden State Tuesday behind Harden's 27 points and Lin's double-double of 14 points and 10 assists in his return to Golden State, where he was cut prior to going on a tear in New York last season.
Meanwhile, the Clippers, who just got Paul back after he sat out 12 of the last 14 games with a bruised right kneecap, have gotten back in the swing of things, having won two straight games, including Monday's dominating 107-90 win over Philadelphia behind Paul's 21 points and 11 assists and Griffin's 20 points.
Even without Paul, the Clippers were impressive when they last played the Rockets on Jan. 15, the Clippers shooting 53.8 percent from the field and 11 of 19 from three-point territory as the Clippers beat Houston 117-109. However, the Rockets could be without Harden, who stepped on David Lee's foot during Tuesday's win and admitted that he could barely walk after the game.
Without Harden, the Rockets will need a big game from Lin-the man who nearly ousted Paul in the voting for the starting NBA All-Star Game West point guard spot-as well as Chandler Parsons and the rest of Houston's corps to withstand the juggernaut that is the Pacific Division-leading Clippers.
Latinos Post breaks down the match-ups:
Power forward: Blake Griffin, Clippers vs. Patrick Patterson, Rockets
Griffin shook off his hamstring scare to return to form in the last three games, including scoring 20 points Monday against the Sixers. The leading scorer on the Clippers is one of the most dangerous power forwards in the game, an underrated shooter that is more well known for his high-flying dunks and athleticism. And he had a big 19-point game against Houston on Jan. 15.
Patterson, who is averaging 14.6 points in his last five games, is once again emerging as a solid scoring option on Houston's frontline. But even with his improved play of late, Patterson will have a lot to contend with when he takes on Griffin. Defense if the key; he must find a way to slow Griffin down, perhaps with help from Asik in the paint.
Advantage: Clippers
Small forward: Caron Butler, Clippers vs. Chandler Parsons, Rockets
Parsons was once again impressive on Tuesday when he dropped 21 points on 60 percent shooting against the Warriors. Shooting 50 percent and scoring 15.0 points in the last five games, Parsons is starting to peak, which is good news because if Harden does miss Wednesday's game, Houston will need Parsons to pick up some serious slack.
Meanwhile, Butler missed Monday's game due to back injury. If he can't make it tonight, look for NBA veteran Grant Hill or Matt Barnes to step in and play against Parsons.
Advantage: Rockets
Center: DeAndre Jordan, Clippers vs. Omer Asik, Rockets
Asik has been getting better with each game, the league's No.2 rebounder averaging 13.0 points and 13.8 rebounds in the last five games. Put that alongside his 1.4 blocks and Asik is easily among the top five best centers in the West right now.
Jordan has been inconsistent on offense lately, but he has had his bright spots, having scored 13 points against Orlando Feb. 6 and 17 points against Miami on Friday. He's also been a rebounding fiend since Feb. 4, grabbing 11.0 boards in five contests. Jordan isn't really an offensive threat, so this will largely be a battle for the boards between these two big men.
Advantage: Rockets
Shooting Guard: Chauncey Billups, Clippers vs. James Harden, Rockets
Assuming Harden can make it onto the court tonight, this should be a great matchup.
Harden, who has been averaging 26.1 points this season, ranked fifth among NBA scorers, is the most important offensive player for the Rockets, but his ankle injury Tuesday could alter the course of Houston's offensive game without their go-to star.
The veteran Billups, who was out with a sore back against the Sixers on Monday, is also listed day-to-day and will be a game time decision.
Advantage: ???
Point Guard: Chris Paul, Clippers vs. Jeremy Lin, Rockets
Paul is back after coming off a knee injury in the last two weeks. He missed the last game against the Rockets, but the starting point guard for the West All-Stars will be in full force tonight coming off a 21-point, 11-assist double-double against Philadelphia on Monday.
However, Lin, who has been gaining momentum as of late, is averaging 16.6 points and 6.4 assists in the last five games, and had an impressive 14-point, 10-assist double-double in his return to Oakland against Golden State Tuesday. If Harden really can't play tonight, Lin will likely become the focal point of the offense, which will lead to a great one-on-one duel between Paul and Lin, the respective No. 1 and 2 vote getters for the West point guard position in fan balloting.
In other words, ladies and gentlemen, this is gonna be good.
Advantage: Clippers
Bench: Lamar Odom, Ronny Turiaf, Jamal Crawford, Clippers vs. Calos Delfino, Toney Douglas
Eric Bledsoe and Jamal Crawford can provide some big-time scoring pop off the bench for Los Angeles, while Lamar Odom, though a shell of what he was in prior years, can still bring a mean rebounding presence for the Clippers.
Sharpshooting Carlos Delfino is back in action for the Rockets after a bruised right elbow kept him out of action for a few games, and that's going to be key for Houston, while Marcus Morris will also need to play a key role on offense. As long as Patrick Beverly can continue to provide quality minutes at the point guard position, the Rockets should be in decent shape.
Advantage: Clippers
Game Time, Live Score
Game time starts at 10:30 p.m. EST. Live score is available via TV Companion, here.
Live Stream
Live Streaming for the Game is can be seen via ESPN. (Service Provider Required)
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