The scorching Houston Rockets put their five-game winning streak on the line with a tough trip to Oakland to face the Golden State Warriors, live on Sky Sports Action.
The Rockets (21-15) have been rolling and are 9-1 in their last 10 games. Their run has been largely thanks to James Harden, who has put together an incredible month of basketball, including scoring at least 35 points in eight straight games.
Harden is averaging 33.3 points, 8.4 assists and 5.8 rebounds in 37 minutes per game this season.
Chris Paul (hamstring) has already missed a couple of weeks of action and is not expected back soon.
This marks the first game of a two-game road trip for the Rockets, who are 2-4 in their last six road games, and are 8-10 on the road this season.
Meanwhile, the Warriors (25-13) have won six of their last 10 games, including their last two in a row. They have dropped their last two home games, but are 15-5 at home this season.
The Warriors average 115.8 points per game, which is third most in the NBA. Stephen Curry leads the Warriors, averaging 28.7 points, 5.3 assists, 5.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. Kevin Durant is averaging 28.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game.
The Warriors sit second place in the West, just 0.5 games out of first place.
Key Battle: Steph Curry vs James Harden
Two-time MVP faces reigning MVP as Curry and Harden face off. The guards lead the NBA in scoring, with Harden averaging 33.3 points per game and Curry 28.7.
The pair also rank one and two in three-pointers made - Harden leads the league with 152 treys with Curry 19 back on 133, despite missing 11 games through injury in November.
While Curry has an edge from three-point land (he makes 45.7 per cent of his threes compared to Harden's 38.7), 'The Beard' is more effective attacking the rim, leading the league in free throw attempts (11.2) and made (9.4) per game.
Last time out
Numbers game
34.9 - The Rockets rank No 1 in three-pointers attempted (42.6) and made (14.8) but their 34.9 per cent three-point accuracy ranks just 18th, a two per cent drop from the 2017-18 season.
Despite this lack of efficiency from beyond the arc, Houston's offensive rating (113.9 points scored per 100 possessions) is the second-best in the NBA.
One to watch (Rockets): Clint Capela
The Rockets' win streak has been primarily powered by Harden but Houston's main man has received crucial support from Clint Capela, who has continued to offer solid play in the middle, averaging 17.0 points, 12.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.9 blocks per game.
The 6ft 10in center has been dominant on both ends of the floor, posting four double-doubles in his past five games including a monster 21-point, 23-rebound performance in a 108-101 win over the San Antonio Spurs followed by a 16-point, 23-rebound effort in a 113-109 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
One to watch (Warriors): Klay Thompson
Golden State's All-Star shooting guard has shown the ability to win games singlehandedly with his three-point prowess throughout his career but has endured a prolonged shooting slump this season, his three-point accuracy dropping from last season's 44.0 per cent to a pedestrian 34.4 in this campaign.
To Thompson's credit, he refused to buckle under the pressure created by that precipitous fall and got his reward with a 32-point, 12-of-21 shooting performance that powered the Warriors to victory at Portland on December 29, prompting him to shout "I missed you" at his shooting hand mid-game.
Will Klay's resurgence continue against the Rockets?
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