What to Watch for in Houston Rockets vs. New York Knicks

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.

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.

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:

Rebounding

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%. No team in the play-by-play has ever eclipsed 38% in a single season.

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%).

But with Adams out, the Rockets will need to rely more on big men such as Clint Capela and Alperen Şengün. In Thursday's 105-101 win over the Charlotte Hornets, Houston was out-rebounded 46-39, grabbing just eight offensive boards. Şengün and Capela combined for just six.

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 Şengün 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.

Fourth-Quarter Offense

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). Houston, on the other hand, is slightly worse at 28 per fourth quarter, but the offense has been poor in general as of late.

The Rockets are averaging just 104.4 points per game in February, which ranks 29th in the NBA. Against one of the league's top offenses, they'll not only need to stop the Knicks from scoring, but also keep up with them on the other end. If this ends up becoming Houston's 30th clutch game of the season, then the offense will really come into play.