The San Antonio Spurs are set to take on the Houston Rockets on Christmas in a battle of two of the best teams in the Western Conference. The Spurs come into this game second in the West and with the second best record in the NBA at 25-5 while the Rockets come in at 15-15 which is good for seventh in the West right now.
The Spurs come into this game having won seven in a row and 11 of their last 12 games. San Antonio has kind of flown under the radar so far this season due to the Warriors great success but there are some people who believe the Spurs might be the best team in the NBA. This will be the first of four meetings between these two Texas teams.
The Spurs boast the best defense in the NBA and a lot of that can be attributed to Kawhi Leonard. Leonard has held down some of the best players in the league this year and he has become a great all around player as his offense is catching up to his defense. In 28 games Leonard leads the team with his 21 points per game but he is also averaging 7.4 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game.
The Spurs have also gotten contributions from a lot of other players but one of the biggest keys has been point guard Tony Parker. Parker is playing a smaller role this season as he is the third option on offense but he is doing it very well as he is second on the team, behind Leonard, with his 20.5 PER and he is averaging 13.1 points and 5.0 assists in just 26.8 minutes per game.
The Spurs have no injuries to report heading into this game and it seems like everybody should be available.
While the Spurs have consistently been at the top of the West this season the Rockets have been a disappointment. Houston has played better lately as they have won three of their last four but they have still been mediocre. The Ty Lawson situation likely hasn't helped and the head coaching change has required an adjustment period but we are still waiting for the Rockets to hit their stride.
James Harden started off the season struggling with his shooting but he has gotten on track and is having another very good season. Through 30 games Harden is averaging 28.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.8 assists while playing a league leading 38.2 minutes per game. Harden's shooting percentages are down this season but he has had to carry a bigger load tha anybody would have expected.
The problem for the Rockets has been that Harden isn't getting much help. Dwight Howard, who is supposed to be the next guy after Harden, hasn't been very involved in the offense as he is fifth on the team in shot attempts per game. Howard's numbers are down across the board this season as he has also dealt with resrictions due to his back. Through 24 games the star center is averaging just 12.9 points, 11.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks. Interim head coach J.P. Bickerstaff said he wanted to get Howard more involved on offense so we will see if that is forthcoming.
The only injury the Rockets have to report is to rookie Sam Dekker who underwent back surgery earlier this year but he wasn't a part of the rotation anyone so they too should have everyone available for this game.
The game is scheduled to tip off at 8:00 P.M. Eastern time and to watch the live broadcast go here. For the Spurs radio broadcast go here and for the Rockets radio broadcast go here.
