What to Watch for in Brooklyn Nets vs. Rockets

The Brooklyn Nets will face off against the Houston Rockets for the second time this season, this time at home. The Rockets blew out the Nets 137-109 in their first meeting, which happened in late October.

The Nets have looked like a completely different team since then, going 7-4 in December while boasting the league's best defensive rating (105.4) and allowing the fewest points per game (104.6).

Brooklyn's defense has also limited the likes of Tyrese Maxey, Anthony Edwards, and Stephen Curry in recent games, though the Golden State Warriors were able to expose some of the Nets' defensive flaws on the interior.

This will be Kevin Durant's third return to the Barclays Center since his trade from Brooklyn to the Phoenix Suns in February 2023, his first as a member of the Rockets.

Durant put up a modest 19 points on 6-of-14 shooting in the Rockets' first matchup against the Nets earlier this season, but KD could come to Brooklyn more motivated than ever to show the fanbase what they're missing out on.

The Nets will likely pressure Durant full court, similar to how they guarded Curry in their last game, to try and keep the ball out of his hands as much as possible, but unlike Curry, Durant doesn't have to worry about bringing the ball up as much, as that job will be delegated to Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard.

The Rockets will also run a significant amount of their offense around Alperen Sengun, as his gravity inside and outside of the painted area will draw Nets defenders outside and open up clean looks and driving lanes for Durant to inflict his usual damage.

Michael Porter Jr., who has drawn a lot of comparisons to Durant due to their similar size and skill set, will be tasked with going bucket for bucket against KD.

Porter pulled his weight in the Nets' disappointing loss to the Warriors on Monday, finishing with 27 points on 10-of-18 shooting, nine rebounds, and five assists.

Nic Claxton has held his own defensively this season, but the Nets will need to find ways to protect the rim whenever Sengun inevitably drags him outside the restricted area. Claxton may also need to tap more into his playmaking skills, with Egor Demin set to be out due to lower back tightness.

If most things go right, the Nets could start the new year off with a bang.