The Houston Rockets are looking to snag their second win in a row tonight, but it will be a major test against the New York Knicks. Both teams are looking to improve their reputation in the NBA’s hierarchy, facing off at Madison Square Garden tonight on national televsion.<\/p>\n
At 34-20, the Rockets are looking to inch closer to the top of the West. They’re currently the fourth seed, with an opportunity to move up in a volatile conference. The Knicks, similarly, are fourth in the East at 35-21, looking to prove analysts right. They were projected to be at the very top of the conference, but have suffered setbacks, mainly on the defensive end.<\/p>\n
There will be a lot to watch tonight at 7:30 p.m. CT on ABC, but here are the two most important things to look out for:<\/p>\n
Rebounding<\/p>\n
The Rockets were arguably the best rebounding team in the league before Steven Adams suffered an ankle injury that required season-ending surgery just a few weeks ago. The bruising center was the main reason why Houston is currently first in offensive rebounding percentage at 39.7%<\/a>. No team in the play-by-play has ever eclipsed 38% in a single season.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the Knicks have impressive rebounding in the form of Mitchell Robinson. Similar to Adams, the 27-year-old isn’t on the floor for anything other than rim protection and giving New York second-chance opportunities. The team is currently seventh in offensive rebounding percentage (32.7%).<\/p>\n But with Adams out, the Rockets will need to rely more on big men such as Clint Capela and Alperen \u015eeng\u00fcn. In Thursday’s 105-101 win over the Charlotte Hornets, Houston was out-rebounded 46-39, grabbing just eight offensive boards. \u015eeng\u00fcn and Capela combined for just six.<\/p>\n Houston will need to find a way to keep Robinson from giving New York second-chance points, whether that be giving Capela more minutes or having \u015eeng\u00fcn sink more toward the paint. Karl-Anthony Towns, who is averaging 19.8 points and 11.9 rebounds per game, is another name to watch.<\/p>\n Fourth-Quarter Offense<\/p>\n The Knicks and Rockets aren’t far apart in fourth-quarter offense, with New York averaging more points per game (28.3, good for eighth in the league<\/a>). Houston, on the other hand, is slightly worse at 28 per fourth quarter, but the offense has been poor in general as of late.<\/p>\n