Houston @ Oklahoma City picks

The Houston Rockets have played at the 7th-most up-tempo pace in the league over the last 15 games, which should increase possessions for the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder check in as the 2nd-best offensive rebounding offense in the league over the last 5 games while playing at home (offensive rebounds maintain possession and can therefore provide additional opportunities for scoring and assists). Alex Caruso should see a spike in efficiency in all stat categories in light of owning the home court advantage in this contest.

Jabari Smith Jr. has converted 47.6% of his attempts from downtown over the last 10 games, 14.7% higher than he's made from 3-point range in all games this year. Jabari Smith Jr. has attempted 6.6 treys per game over the last 5 games, 1.7 higher than he's attempted over the course of the year. Jabari Smith Jr. has played 37.0 minutes per game over the last 5 games, 6.8 higher than he's played in all games this year. The Rockets have played at the 7th-quickest tempo in the league over the last 15 games. The Houston Rockets rank as the best offensive rebounding offense in the NBA this year (offensive rebounds maintain possession and can therefore provide new chances for scoring and assists).

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has tallied 3.2 personal fouls per game over the last 5 games, 1.0 higher than he's tallied over the course of the season. As it relates to three-point shots, the Oklahoma City Thunder's subpar 32.7% rate of successful threes on their home court measures as the 7th-lowest in the NBA over the last 5 games. The Oklahoma City Thunder have played at the 6th-most sluggish pace in the league over the last 5 games on their home court.

Isaiah Hartenstein has averaged 2.3 personal fouls per game playing at home since the start of last season, placing him in the 81st percentile -- among the league's most-whistled. The Oklahoma City Thunder have played at the 6th-most sluggish pace in the league over the last 5 games on their home court.

Fred VanVleet has averaged 3.7 defensive boards per game this year on the road, ranking him among the NBA's leaders by this metric over this stretch: 76th percentile. Out of all players in the NBA, Fred VanVleet comes in at the 94th percentile for playing time, tallying an enormous 35.2 minutes per game this year. The Rockets have played at the 7th-quickest tempo in the league over the last 15 games. The Houston Rockets rank as the best offensive rebounding offense in the NBA this year (offensive rebounds maintain possession and can therefore provide new chances for scoring and assists).