The last two NBA MVP's are going head-to-head in Houston.
It's no secret that Russell Westbrook's Oklahoma City Thunder have been one of the most dynamic teams in the Western Conference. The Thunder entered Christmas Day as winners of four of their last five games and hold a victory over James Harden and the Houston Rockets earlier this season. The Thunder have seen Paul George play some of the best basketball of his career as of late, as he's averaging 34.8 points during the last five games.
Much like the Thunder, the Rockets are in the midst of stellar stretch as they had been victorious in five of their last six games entering Christmas Day. Houston had a five-game winning streak going before being defeated by the Miami Heat on Thursday. However, the team is going to be without point guard Chris Paul for at least the next two weeks after he suffered a left hamstring strain. This could be a very offensive-minded affair on Christmas Day to say the least.
How to watch
- Date: Tuesday, Dec. 25
- Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Toyota Center -- Houston, Texas
- TV: ABC
- Live stats: GameTracker
- Odds: Rockets -1.5
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Thunder vs. Rockets story lines
Thunder: The Thunder are coming off a narrow 114-112 loss at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves. This is a game that Oklahoma City probably would've won if not for being outscored 38-18 in the third quarter. Even in the loss, George went off once again with a 31-point performance and Russell Westbrook registered another triple-double. It'll be interesting to see if the Thunder can put that loss behind them against a Rockets team that's always capable of dropping 120 points in any game.
Rockets: The Rockets enter Christmas Day without Paul after Thursday's unfortunate injury. Luckily for Houston, the team was able to sign some veteran help for the backcourt in the form of Austin Rivers, who was bought out following a trade to the Phoenix Suns. On the other hand, James Harden has truly been sensational lately as he's averaging a mind-numbing 37.6 points over the team's last five games. In a game that could be a shootout, Harden is going to have to continue to play an extremely high level.
Game prediction, pick
The Thunder have been one of the more dangerous teams in the Western Conference. Without Paul in the lineup, it's likely going to an uphill battle against a team that boasts a very lethal offense in Oklahoma City. The Thunder take this Christmas Day battle on the road.
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