The gist: Both teams are trying to get off a two-game losing skid. The Thunder has been last spotted dropping a 103-93 affair against their division rival Blazers as Kevin Durant was limited to 19 points on 8/26 shooting.
Key matchup: Kevin Martin vs James Harden
The one-dimensional gunslinger takes on the jack-of-all trades. With Courtney Lee sidelined indefinitely, Martin is expected to log more minutes while being expected not to keep firing blanks, obviously a Catch-22 situation for a shooter like himself.
X-factor: Chandler Parsons
The rookie made heads turn when he placed Blake Griffin on the receiving end of the poster in the previous game. He posted a respectable 11-point, 8-rebound outing and should see significant minutes facing Serge Ibaka and Durant.
Code Red: The alarms have been escalated. The Rockets have yet to win on the road, going 0-4 in foreign territories. Only Milwaukee and Washington are as awful.
