The moment we’ve all been waiting for is finally here. Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder, the very same NBA teams who swapped All-Star point guards in the offseason, will face off for the first round of the playoffs.
The Rockets paired Russell Westbrook with James Harden to try and get over the hump in the playoffs and finally win an NBA championship, while Chris Paul turned the Thunder from a so-called tanking team into one of the biggest dark horses out of the Western Conference.
Both teams hit the ground running since the resumption of the season. Unfortunately, Westbrook will miss at least the first couple of games of the series vs. his former team, which is going to be mouth-watering for Paul and Shai-Gilgeous Alexander.
The Rockets are 100% committed to small-ball so Steven Adams may play a huge part in the Thunder’s ability to pull off the upset here. However, they’ll have to do a great job at keeping up with their high-octane, run-and-gun offense if they don’t want to be caught sleeping early.
Head-To-Head:Houston Rockets vs Oklahoma City Thunder
Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder have faced off 223 times in the regular season thus far, with the Thunder holding a114-109 edge in their all-time series, including 2 victories this year.
When it comes to the playoffs, the OKC Thunder also leads with 25 wins to Houston’s 17. Moreover, their last playoffs matchup in 2017ended with an easy 4-1 victory for James Harden’s team.
Match Information: Houston Rockets vs Oklahoma City Thunder
Date:Tuesday, Aug. 18
Time: 6:30p.m. ET
Location:HP Field House Orlando
Odds: Oklahoma City Thunder -6, o/u 259.5(via DraftKings)
see also
Los Angeles Lakers vs Portland Trail Blazers Game 1: How to watch NBA playoffs, preview and odds
Injuries
Houston Rockets
Russell Westbrook: Quadriceps, Out
Danuel House: Toe, Day-to-day
Oklahoma City Thunder
Abdel Nader: Elbow, Day-to-day
Luguentz Dort: Knee, Day-to-day
Isaiah Roby: Foot, Out for the season
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How Can I Watch Houston Rockets vs Oklahoma City Thunder Game 1?
Game 1:Tue, Aug 18 Oklahoma City atHouston, 6:30 ET, TNT, NBA League Pass.
