Rebounding, Shooting Two Things to Watch in Rockets vs. Suns

Contrary to their inconsistencies just a few weeks ago, the wins have continued to pile up for the Houston Rockets over the last week and a half. After Monday's thrilling 117-116 victory to spoild Stephen Curry's return to the Golden State Warriors, they're now on a six-game winning streak.

Tonight, the Rockets face another postseason unit, this time the Phoenix Suns. Kevin Durant's former team has yet to take him down this season, as Houston leads the season series 3-0. A win and a Los Angeles Lakers loss would tie the fourth seed.

With both teams near full health, this should be an entertaining battle in southern Arizona. Here are two things to watch tonight:

Offensive Rebounds

While the Rockets have been the NBA's best in offensive rebounding, the Suns have exceeded expectations this season by doing something similar. When Phoenix traded Kevin Durant for a package featuring Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks, almost no one expected that group to be in the postseason.

But the Suns are fourth in offensive boards per game this year, averaging 13 per game. That's only 1.9 less than the Rockets, who are at the top.

One would expect Phoenix's focus on second-chance opportunities to hinder its transition defense, but the Suns are also seventh in fastbreak points allowed (14.7 per game). Houston isn't as great at masking that, ranking 15th.

Tonight, expect plenty of fight from both offenses when it comes to crashing the glass. For each squad, it's their bread and butter for points.

Perimeter Scoring

Phoenix finally has Brooks back after fracturing his hand with three games under his belt. He, Green and Devin Booker make up an underrated scoring trio that can hit opponents from anywhere on the perimeter.

Meanwhile, the Rockets have gotten a lot more out of supplementary wings like Jabari Smith Jr. and Reed Sheppard as of late. It isn't just Durant that generates offense now; amid the winning streak, turnovers are down, and the scoring distribution is more efficient.

While both defenses rank in the top 10 in terms of efficiency, this could also be a high-scoring contest purely due to hot shooting. Houston has found a rhythm in that department, while Phoenix is still reputable.

Since March 26, the Rockets have been averaging 123.3 points per game (sixth in the NBA) with the league's top offensive rating. Meanwhile, the Suns aren't too far behind, putting up 120.6 points a night (eighth) with a top-15 offensive rating.