The Houston Rockets (40-41) and Sacramento Kings (33-48) will clash at the Toyota Center to bring the regular season to an end. Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Apr. 13 and will air on RSW and CSA.
The Rockets won big over the Timberwolves 129-105 on Monday. James Harden led all scorers on the team with 34 points on 12-for-21 shooting. The Kings, meanwhile, are coming off a 105-101 win over the Suns on Monday. Seth Curry claimed his first double-double of the season with 20 points and 15 assists.
Over the last five games, Harden and Trevor Ariza have been better than usual for the Rockets. During that stretch, Harden has averaged 34.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 7.8 assists, 2.0 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 5.0 three-pointers. Not to be outdone, Ariza has put up 17.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.8 blocks, and 3.0 three-pointers. Rudy Gay has also been hot in the same span, averaging 19.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 2.8 steals, 2.0 blocks, and 1.0 three-pointer while leading the Kings.
Keep an eye on Houston’s ability to get to the charity stripe. The team ranks first in the league in free throw attempt rate (35.4), but Sacramento is among the best in the NBA at keeping opponents off the line (ranking first by allowing a free throw attempt rate of 26.5).
The Rockets lead the season series against the Kings two games to one, but dropped their most recent game, 107-97. Despite the loss, Harden was the game’s leading scorer with 33 points.
The Rockets have gone 40-41 Straight Up (SU) and 35-45-1 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have had success covering the spread (8-2). The Rockets have one of the most prolific offenses in the entire league, averaging 106.4 points per game. Something to watch out for is if Houston can force its opponents into turnovers and convert them into baskets. They’ve done an excellent job of that all year with an average of 18.8 points off turnovers per game.
As for their opponent, the Kings have 33-48 SU and 38-41-2 ATS records. Against the Western Conference, Sacramento is 33-48 SU and 38-41-2 ATS. The Kings rank third in the league in scoring, averaging 106.9 points per game.
The Kings’ win over Houston in their last clash wasn’t enough for them to overtake the Rockets in the most recent head-to-head series. Their record is now 3-7 SU over the last 10 meetings. Additionally, the Rockets lead the matchup ATS with a record of 6-4.
Predictions: SU Winner – Hou
Notes
The Sacramento Kings average 106.9 points per game (ranked third), while the Houston Rockets give up a whopping 106.7 points (ranked 26th).
Houston ranks 24th in points allowed per home game (105.2 PPG), while Sacramento ranks fourth in points per away game with 106.2.
In games where they allow fewer than 100 points, the Houston Rockets are a winning 14-5. In games where they fail to hit triple digits, the Sacramento Kings have an underachieving record of 4-19.
When allowing at least 100 points, the Houston Rockets are 26-36. When hitting triple digits, the Sacramento Kings are 29-29.
The Rockets have an offensive rating of 106.2 (ranked eighth). The Kings rank sixth for their defensive rating of 106.6.
Houston averages fewer possessions per game than Sacramento, with 100.3 compared to 102.5. However, the Rockets score an average of 1.062 points per possession, more than the 1.043 that the Kings score.
Houston is among the top-ranked teams based on its average effective field goal percentage of 51.6% (ranked seventh in the NBA). Sacramento is a losing 13-34 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
Houston makes an average of 22.1 assists per game (ranked 17th). Sacramento ranks higher in assists with 24.5 (ranked fourth).
Houston makes an average of 5.2 blocks per game (ranked 14th), while Sacramento makes 4.5 blocks per game (ranked 20th).
Houston is ranked seventh in offensive rebounding. Sacramento ranks 14th in defensive rebounds.
Houston averages 10.0 steals per game, ranking first in the league. Sacramento is a poor 10-20 when it gives up at least 10 steals.
