Oklahoma City (3-0) at Houston (0-3)
When: Monday, November 2nd 2015
Where: Toyota Center, Houston, TX
Time: 8:05 ET | TV: NBA TV
The 3-0 Oklahoma City Thunder will play for the second night in a row when they travel to winless Houston on Monday to take on the Rockets. Oklahoma City survived a double-overtime win in Orlando on Friday night, then cruised to a 117-93 win over Denver yesterday to give star Kevin Durant some rest. Durant, who played only 27 games last year, logged 54 minutes on Friday, but was limited to just 27 in yesterday’s blowout. Durant feels confident that he can play every night and doesn’t need to be treated like a 39-year old veteran. He leads the team in minutes play per game averaging 30 points and 6.7 rebounds. Russell Westbrook leads the team in scoring at 32 a game and Enes Canter leads in rebounds with 10.7 despite playing less than 20 minutes a game off the bench. Thanks to the double-overtime shootout in Orlando, the Thunder lead the league averaging 122.7 points a game and second in FG% at 48.6.
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The Houston Rockets are a mess right now and need to turn it around quickly or they will find themselves looking up at the rest of the West. Star guard James Harden is the main culprit for the Rockets’ poor start. He is 12-of-54 from the field and is averaging 18 points a game and has yet to shoot 30 percent in a game this season. He was a dreadful 2-of-15 in yesterday’s 109-89 loss in Miami as Houston was outscored 65-26 in the second half and watched a 21-point third-quarter lead turn into its third consecutive 20-point defeat. The Rockets are almost dead-last in all offensive and defensive categories so far in this young season. They’re shooting only 37.1% from the field and 24.5% from 3-point land. They’re being outscored by an average of 108.7 to 88.7. Houston PF Terrence Jones (eyelid laceration) missed yesterday’s game against Miami and is questionable to play against the Thunder, while C Dwight Howard (back) will be in the lineup after sitting out the first game of the back-to-back.
Until Houston turns things around I can’t see laying any money on them. The Thunder are the better team in this matchup and the line is only 2. I’ll take my chances with the road team tonight.
Pick: Thunder -2
