The rivalry between the Houston Rockets and the San Antonio Spurs is renewed on Saturday night at 1am, live on Sky Sports.
Key battle - LaMarcus Aldridge vs Clint Capela. Capela, the Rockets' big man who received a big contract last summer, is producing big performances. He will come up against Aldridge - the Spurs are 9-0 whenever he manages 20 or more points.
Last time out
Numbers game - The Rockets are on a four-game losing streak, suffered after they put together a five-game winning run. Will the Spurs inflict a fifth consecutive loss?
One to watch (Rockets) - Last season's NBA MVP James Harden's importance has never been felt more. The Rockets are 1-7 without him. Similarly, they are 0-5 without Chris Paul whose fitness to play Spurs is questionable due to a leg injury. The Rockets are 8-4 with both of their best players in the team but they might not have this luxury against the Spurs.
One to watch (Spurs) - Rudy Gay did not play in this season's first meeting with the Rockets. The accuracy of his three-pointers is at 46.7 percent, his best ever, so it is a new problem for the Rockets to deal with.
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