James Harden has been putting up historic numbers since the beginning of January, but his Rockets team has needed it to survive. Houston will travel to California on Wednesday night to take on the surging Sacramento Kings. The Rockets blew out the Kings back in November, winning by a score of 132-112.
The Kings come into this game having won three straight games, and are just outside of the playoff picture in the Western Conference. Sacramento brings a 28-25 record into the game, and are in third place in the Pacific Division. Houston is in a first-place tie with the San Antonio Spurs with a record of 31-22. The Rockets have won two straight games, and are starting to get healthy again. Houston is a 2.0 point favorite over the Kings in this game.
Kings Can Score Some Points
The Sacramento Kings have been rebuilding for the last few seasons, but they have clearly turned a corner. The Kings have a roster that is loaded with young talent, and those youngsters can score points on a consistent basis. Sacramento is averaging 113.7 points per game which is top ten in the NBA. The Kings still have some work to do on defense, but their offense will keep them in the playoff race all season.
Buddy Hield leads the Kings with 20.4 points per game this season, and he is starting to make good on the promise that he showed as a collegiate player at Oklahoma. Hield might be the leading scorer, but De’Aaron Fox is no doubt the leader of this Kings team. Fox is averaging 17.5 points and 7.2 assists per game and is the catalyst for a very good offensive team. The Kings have been building this for a while, and things are going well in Sacramento again.
Harden Still One-Man Show
Chris Paul has made his return to the floor for the Rockets, but James Harden remains a one-man show in Houston. Harden is averaging a league-high 36.5 points per game this season and dominates the basketball when the Rockets are on offense. The reigning MVP of the league is attempting more than 13 three-point attempts per game this season, and you can expect him to be aggressive in this game.
The Rockets were the best offensive team in the NBA a season ago, but they have fallen out of the top-10 in scoring average this season. Houston is still averaging 112.8 points per game, but injuries have held the Rockets back so far this season. You can expect to see the Rockets advance deep in the NBA Playoffs, but they are still an incomplete team at this point in the season.
Kings Win at Home
Sacramento has been one of the best stories in the NBA so far this season, and they look like the future of the league. The Kings are capable of lighting up the scoreboard and are really tough to beat at home. Houston has a much better roster when healthy, but the Rockets are relying on Harden way too much. Harden will get his points in this game, but the Kings will get the win. Bet the Sacramento Kings +2.0 over the Houston Rockets.
