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NBA playoffs 2020 is finally upon us and fans are geared up to watch their favorite teams battle it out for the championships. While there are plenty of great matchups to watch out for, the Houston Rockets taking on the OKC Thunder definitely tops the list.
Both the Houston Rockets and OKC Thunder have won 44 games and lost 28 games this season. But it's the off-court storylines surrounding these two teams that have got fans pumped for this series.
The Houston Rockets traded Chris Paul and 4 draft picks to OKC Thunder and landed Russel Westbrook in a blockbuster trade last summer. It seems almost predestined that these two teams were going to face each other in the first round of the NBA playoffs 2020.
The OKC Thunder have definitely exceeded all expectations so far and are looking to make a strong start to their NBA playoffs 2020 journey. Despite missing Russel Westbrook in Game 1, Houston Rockets still have a slight edge over their Western Conference rivals. Here are five reasons why:
#1. James Harden is on a mission heading into NBA playoffs 2020
Let's get the obvious out of the way, the Houston Rockets will go as far as James Harden can take them in NBA playoffs 2020. Despite adding Russel Westbrook to their roster, this team still heavily relies on James Harden, and he's delivered so far.
For a third consecutive time, Harden became the NBA regular-season scoring champion. The beard was the second-best player offensively in the Bubble (behind bubble MVP Damian Lillard) and is looking determined to continue the impressive run in the NBA playoffs 2020.
After getting 4 months' rest, Harden has more left in his tank compared to any of the previous years heading into the NBA playoffs 2020. He's all set to prove his critics wrong and get over the playoff hump.
#2. Houston Rockets bench is better than the OKC Thunder
Everybody knows how important it is to have depth in the roster as we head into the business end of the season. While OKC Thunder starters have performed exceedingly well so far, their second and third unit has been underwhelming. Apart from Dennis Schroder, there haven't been notable contributions from the OKC Thunder bench and the Houston Rockets will look to exploit it.
The Rockets on the other hand run deep with Austin Rivers, Ben McLemore, and Jeff Green leading the second unit. Even when James Harden is on the bench, the Rockets have the firepower to keep the scoreboard ticking with their perimeter shooting.
Also read: NBA Playoffs 2020: 3 lower-seeded teams that can cause a 1st round upset
#3. Lu Dort's injury a set back for the OKC thunders defense
Thunder starter Luguentz Dort is questionable for Game 1 due to a sprained right knee. This means Dennis Schroder will mostly be moved to the starting line up and puts more pressure on the Thunder bench.
While Luguentz averaged only around 7 points a game, it's the youngster's defensive skills that will be missed the most. Lu was their key weapon to guard James Harden in the NBA playoffs 2020. With his absence, the daunting task of guarding James becomes even tougher for Chris Paul and co.
#4. The Houston Rockets Defense is getting better with each game
First things first, the Houston Rockets are terrible in rebounding. But that doesn't mean they can't make up for it defensively in other aspects. Though the Rockets ranked 16th in NBA before the break, they ranked 6th in the NBA bubble while being ranked #1 in steals and #5 in blocked shots.
The biggest positive for the Rockets defense in the bubble was perhaps how committed James Harden was on the defensive end. The beard is known to be a great post-up defender and his involvement in defense will encourage the rest of the team to give their best.
#5. OKC not built to play small-ball
Mike D'Antoni doubled down on the small-ball approach when he traded their Center Clint Capela for Robert Covington. This approach has worked pretty well so far and the Rockets' dynamic duo has the whole paint to themselves to attack when they choose. Surrounded by shooters on all sides, Russ and James' ability to 'penetrate and kick' makes them a formidable offensive team.
Though OKC Thunder's Steven Adams can pose a thread as far as rebounding is concerned, it's not clear how he'll adjust to guarding P.J.Tucker, a corner 3 specialist. If the 7 foot Australian can't match up with the speed of the small ball Rockets, OKC Thunder will have to move Danilo Gallinari to Center. But Gallinari is probably OKC Thunder's best 3 point shooter and playing him at Center will be counterproductive as there are not enough wing shooters to compensate for it.
Also read: NBA Playoffs 2020: 5 Bold predictions for the first round
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