Game thread: Rockets vs. Thunder

The Rockets head into Oklahoma City tonight to take on the Thunder, where they will be looking for their 16th win in a row. They’ve already earned a place in the pantheon of historic Rockets win streaks, and they can continue to push it with another win tonight over OKC.

The Rockets are what many mainstream pundits thought the Thunder would be in the lead up to the season, and that it is the main competition to the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference.

So while the Rockets have been better than most expected, the Thunder haven’t quite lived up to expectations. They haven’t been terrible, but Carmelo Anthony has had little impact, and Russell Westbrook’s crew currently sit seventh place in the Western Conference. They’re just a game and a half out of third, but they’re also just a game and half from being out of the playoffs entirely.

The Rockets have lost to the Thunder once already this season, a five-point defeat in Oklahoma City back on Christmas Day, but Chris Paul wasn’t active for that game. This is a different Houston team than the one we saw back in December, though they’ll be just a little shorthanded still without Ryan Anderson and Joe Johnson.

I expect the Rockets to have a tough game on their hands tonight, but with Paul, James Harden and Clint Capela all active, the smart money says the streak goes to 16.

Go Rockets!