Two Things to Watch for as the Rockets Take On the Heat

The Houston Rockets will wrap up February with the second game of their Florida road trip, taking on the Miami Heat today at 2:30 p.m. Riding a three-game winning streak, a win would further separate themselves as the third seed in the Western Conference.

The Rockets have found somewhat of a stride on offense, averaging 122 points on 46.3% shooting from the field across their last three games. Albeit it was against significantly inferior opponents, but this is the spark they needed to close out the month.

Houston has the opportunity to take advantage of a struggling Heat squad, having lost two games in a row to put them at 5-5 in February. Heading into today's matchup, here are two things to look out for:

Perimeter Shooting

Miami started the season running a unique, screen-free offense, and for a stretch, it worked. However, opponents figured it out quickly, and the team now ranks 15th in offensive rating.

The Heat are extremely average, ranking 15th in three-pointers attempts and 16th in makes. They rarely wow opponents or underperform, but average nearly 120 points per game (second in the NBA). On the other end, they're giving up 13.9 threes a night (21st)

The Rockets are a team that hesitates to take so many threes. They're 19th in attempts per game and 26th in makes, so it will be interesting to see how these two handle the perimeter in their first matchup of the season.

Defense vs. Guards

Norman Powell (groin) is out today, but Tyler Herro has returned with a 21.2-point average this season. Even with Miami's leading scorer out, the team still poses threats from the wings, including Andrew Wiggins, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Pelle Larsson.

The Rockets, on the other hand, have the weapons to combat Bam Adebayo and Kel'el Ware. Alperen Şengün matches up well as an oversized four-man, while Jabari Smith Jr. also poses versatility at the forward spot. Clint Capela, who has stepped up in the absence of Steven Adams (season-ending ankle surgery), is averaging 1.7 blocks across his last six games.

That leaves the defensive task to the perimeter players. How will Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, Reed Sheppard and Kevin Durant handle the task of stopping an effective isolation scorer in Herro, as well as solid supplementary options listed earlier? The Rockets can certainly take care of business today, but they can't afford to play down to the competition.