Golden State is on an incredible 13-game win streak, which has pushed their record to a league-best 18-2. Their last test came Monday night, when they beat the Timberwolves 102-86.
Houston isn't far behind with a 16-4 record of their own, including a 100-95 win over the Phoenix Suns on Monday.
The Warriors won the first matchup of the season 98-87 on November 8 in Houston.
Projected Starting Lineups
Golden State Warriors (18-2)
G Stephen Curry – 23.1 ppg, 7.7 apg
G Klay Thompson – 21.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg
F Harrison Barnes – 11.2 ppg, 6.4 rpg
F Draymond Green – 13.3 ppg, 7.7 rpg
C Andrew Bogut – 7.1 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 2.2 bpg
Houston Rockets (16-4)
G Patrick Beverly – 13.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg
G James Harden – 25.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 6.6 apg
F Trevor Ariza – 14.2 ppg, 6.1 rpg
F Donatas Motiejunas - 9.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg
F Tarik Black - 4.8 ppg, 5.7 rpg
What to watch for:
Can Golden State take advantage of Houston's injuries?
The Rockets are playing without their two usual starting big men (Dwight Howard and Terrance Jones), which now creates a big void in the post the Warriors can exploit. However, Golden State is a perimeter-oriented team, so might not be able to take advantage of Houston's weakness as much as another team would. Look for the Warriors to feed the ball to Andrew Bogut, especially early in the game, to see if they can get anything going in the post.
Klay Thompson vs. James Harden
Harden is widely viewed as the best shooting guard in the NBA, but Thompson is a rising star at the position. Thompson is having an All-Star type season, and he'll be looking to make a statement against Harden that he should be in the conversation for best shooting guard in the league. Whoever wins this matchup will give their team an advantage in the game.
Prediction: Warriors win 122-108
Both teams play at an extremely fast tempo, so there should be a lot of points scored in this game. The Rockets would have a tough time beating Golden State with a healthy roster, but they won't be able to keep up without Dwight Howard.
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