Coming off Friday’s thrilling win over Phoenix, the young Houston Rockets are an impressive 20-9 at home this season.
But the competition gets much steeper on Sunday, when the surging Oklahoma City Thunder (39-17) visit Toyota Center.
The Thunder are tied for the best record in the Western Conference, and their +8.0 point differential (on a per-game basis) leads the West and ranks second in the entire NBA for the 2023-24 season.
Led by MVP candidate Shai-Gilgeous Alexander, the Thunder enter with four straight wins and seven victories in their last nine games.
That presents a major challenge for Fred VanVleet and the Rockets, who are entering a two-game home-and-home series with the Thunder. The rematch comes Tuesday night in Oklahoma City.