• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Rockets-Spurs Preview

Jan 1, 2016 - 9:09 PM The Houston Rockets played some rare lock-down defense against the San Antonio Spurs last week, but they've struggled to match that effort since that Christmas Day victory.

Now they hope to rediscover that performance and snap San Antonio's franchise-record 28-game home winning streak Saturday night when Tim Duncan is expected to return for the Spurs.

Despite allowing an average of 105.6 points heading into the contest, Houston held San Antonio to a season-low total on 40.9 percent shooting in an 88-84 home win on Dec. 25.

The Rockets won their 18th straight game when holding an opponent under 90 points.

''We're more than capable,'' guard James Harden said after the contest. ''So we have to find ourselves. We've got to find that energy, that consistent defensive togetherness every single night.''

The Rockets (16-18), however, haven't been able to do that, allowing 115 points per game on 48.1 percent shooting - including a 43.2 mark from 3-point range - in three straight losses. They allowed a Golden State team that did not have Stephen Curry to shoot 51.2 percent from the field and 11 for 23 from beyond the arc in Thursday's 114-110 home defeat.

"We've got to learn our lesson and be ready for the next one," said Harden, who had 30 points.

The Christmas loss to the Rockets is the Spurs' lone defeat in the past 11 games, as well as the only time they haven't scored at least 100 over that span. They shot 56.6 percent in their third straight win Wednesday, 112-79 versus Phoenix.

LaMarcus Aldridge led the way with 21 points and 12 rebounds and Kawhi Leonard scored 19 while hitting 3 of 4 from 3-point range as San Antonio (28-6) extended its historic home winning streak.

The club has won by an average of 17.6 points during that impressive run. At 19-0, it's also off to the Western Conference's best home start since Houston opened 20-0 in the 1985-86 season. Portland owns the NBA record with a 26-0 home start in '77-78.

''It's not that we care about the record," guard Manu Ginobili said, "but we know we've been very successful (at home) and we haven't given away any games at home.''

Duncan hasn't played since finishing with 13 points and 11 rebounds in the first meeting. The future Hall of Famer will return in this one after missing three games with right knee soreness.

''I think we could use him,'' guard Danny Green joked.

Leonard, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, is a major reason why the Spurs are allowing a league-low 88.6 points per game. He's also leading the way offensively with a 20.8 scoring average.

Harden, second in the NBA with 28.4 points per game, has shot a combined 18 for 55 (32.7 percent) the past three times he's faced Leonard. The three-time All-Star scored 28 on 10-of-18 shooting when Leonard was inactive in a 110-106 loss at San Antonio on Dec. 28, 2014.

Dwight Howard has totaled 51 points and 29 rebounds in his last two games after averaging 9.8 and 9.3 over his previous four. He's only totaled 23 points in his past two against the Spurs.

The Rockets have dropped two straight and 29 of their last 35 trips to San Antonio.