The Denver Nuggets might not have been eliminated from the Playoffs contention, but they might well be pretty soon, if they do not win some of their future matches in succession.
The Nuggets lie on the 12th position of the Western Conference and the other three teams below them namely Sacramento Kings, LA Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves have already been eliminated from the contention. So, this just explains the dire strait situation the Rockets find themselves in as they travel to Houston to taken on the Rockets later tonight.
The Rockets on the other have been in good form as they lie on the third position of the Western Conference with 45 wins and 22 losses, as compared to the poor record of the Nuggets, which reads 26 wins and 42 losses.
What has made the Rockets one of the strongest teams in the competition have been the form of James Harden, who is undergoing a top season.
He has been averaging 26.7 points per season and his game has only been improving with every passing game.
Apart from Harden, other players such as Trevor Ariza, Corey Brewer and Josh Smith have been great during the season, which has kept them in healthy position with the NBA Playoffs coming near.
Harden might not have been in his usual best in the past few matches, but other players have come to the fore. In Rockets' last game against the Orlando Magic, Harden did not have an impressive game, but Ariza, Brewer and Smith turned up with a great team effort to defeat Magic, 107-94.
"That's the beauty of this team," AP quoted James Harden as saying. "You got five or six guys in double figures. That means the ball is moving around and that means guys are getting good shots. No matter if I struggle or not, we still win and that's a great thing."
If such players get their game going against the Nuggets as well, the Rockets could be a difficult team to beat as well.
The Nuggets have not clicked as a team during the season, only few players have stood up. Ty Lawson has been their best player, as he averages 15.9 points per season. Wilson Chandler and Kenneth Faried have been decent as well.
So, if they are to surprise the Rockets, they need to come up with an all-round performance and clinch an important win and hope to use this victory as a launching pad.
Where to Watch Live
The game is scheduled to start at 8pm ET (5:30am IST and 12am GMT) with no live TV coverage in the US.
Viewers around the world can stream it live on NBA.com.
