Preview: San Antonio Takes On Houston

Oct 24, 2013; San Antonio, TX, USA; Houston Rockets head coach Kevin McHale talks to center Dwight Howard (12) during the second half against the San Antonio Spurs at AT
San Antonio takes on a new look western conference foe tonight. Here’s a quick preview with all you need to know.
Who? San Antonio Spurs vs. Houston Rockets
Where? AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
When? November 30, 2013, 7:30 PM CST
TV/Radio Coverage: TV: KENS – RADIO: 1200 AM WOAI
Projected Starting Lineups
Rockets
StartersPG: Patrick BeverleySG: James HardenSF: Chandler ParsonsPF: Terrence JonesC: Dwight Howard
Spurs
StartersPG: Tony Parker SG: Danny Green SF: Kawhi LeonardPF: Tim DuncanC: Tiago Splitter
This game is a match-up that I absolutely love. The new-look Rockets now consist of two stars, with Dwight Howard and James Harden. With that said, you may have noticed that Jeremy Lin is out for tonight’s game. Lin had an injury that will be keeping him out of action against the Spurs tonight. This marks the second straight game where the Spurs will be playing against a backup at the point.
Houston is now considered a western conference “favorite”, but then again, how can they be the favorite over the Spurs. San Antonio has been so dominant this season. Therefore, a loss is somewhat surprising.
Anyway, I’m really looking forward to seeing how Kawhi Leonard can handle James Harden. Kawhi played very well while going up against Durant, so hopefully Harden won’t be too difficult to handle. Of course Harden is going to score points, but he isn’t known for his defense. With that said, you may be seeing a good offensive game from Kawhi tonight.
The Rockets currently are the highest scoring team in the league, so that will be a concern. At the same time, they are the 4th worst defensive team when it comes to points allowed. That states my earlier point. Defense is crucial. Last night, I was presently surprised by Tim Duncan’s performance. If he brings that tonight, this one could get ugly.
I’m predicting a Spurs win in a close one.