Two Things to Watch as the Houston Rockets Host the Philadelphia 76ers

The Houston Rockets are carrying the most momentum they've had all season long into their final home stand of the regular season. Tuesday's road win over the Phoenix Suns tested Houston's resiliency, but after an early 21-point comeback, the team is riding a seven-game winning streak.

The Rockets will face the Philadelphia 76ers tonight for the first time since Jan. 22. Like Houston, the 76ers are fighting to move up in the NBA standings, currently a Play-In Tournament team at 43-29.

Meanwhile, the Rockets have a legitimate shot to snatch home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, currently 50-29 (fourth in the Western Conference).

Philadelphia is looking for a much-needed victory after dropping its last two games. What are some things to watch in tonight's matchup at the Toyota Center?

Turnovers

Since March 26, both teams have been excellent at taking care of the ball. It's extremely surprising for Houston, which has found a way to mask its biggest weakness without a true point guard.

In that stretch, the Rockets are third in the NBA in turnovers (12 per game), while the 76ers are fifth (12.2). But when these two met in January, neither team did a good job of taking care of the ball. Philadelphia and Houston recorded 15 and 16 giveaways, both more than each one's season average.

Tonight will be all about ball security, more so for the 76ers, because the Rockets are seventh in defensive rating this season. While Houston lacks a true floor general, Philadelphia will be facing perimeter players who can apply great defensive pressure.

Paint Protection

In their previous meeting, both teams shot well from beyond the arc. The Rockets were 18-for-40 (45%) from three-point range, and while the 76ers weren't as efficient (11-for-32, 34%), they still did enough to pull out the overtime victory, 128-122. That contest wasn't so much about scoring within the arc as it was shooting from the outside.

Fast forward to tonight, and over Houston's last seven games, the team is averaging 5.7 blocks per game (fifth in the NBA). Philadelphia isn't too far behind at 5.2 per game (10th). With both teams playing efficient basketball over the last two weeks, this matchup could be all about perimeter shooting, but they can also protect the paint at a high level.

The 76ers have Joel Embiid, Andre Drummond and Adem Bona inside. Meanwhile, the Rockets have Alperen Şengün and Clint Capela, but athletic wings like Amen Thompson, Tari Eason and Jabari Smith Jr. can play elite help defense.