Houston @ Charlotte preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 9, 2017 ) Houston 107, Charlotte 95

With Houston in the grip of World Series fever, it might be easy to miss the city's basketball team getting off to another strong start. The Houston Rockets will try to continue their under-the-radar success when they visit the Charlotte Hornets in the second of a three-game road trip on Friday.

While Major League Baseball's Houston Astros were busy winning Game 2 of the World Series in dramatic fashion on Wednesday, the Rockets were doing some dramatic things of their own with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Eric Gordon providing the difference in a 105-104 win at Philadelphia. "We needed a spark," Gordon told reporters. "We needed this game. For us to be a good team we have to win games like this because we're never going to be out of the game." The Hornets won their first two home games by an average of 17.5 points and are showing off a solid defense in the early going, anchored by former Rockets center Dwight Howard. Charlotte held the Denver Nuggets to 38.4 percent from the field in a 110-93 win on Wednesday and enter play on Thursday second in the NBA in defensive field-goal percentage, limiting opponents to 41.3 percent.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, AT&T Sportsnet Southwest (Houston), FS Southeast (Charlotte)

ABOUT THE ROCKETS (4-1): Houston is still not where it wants to be on offense and is shooting 28.1 percent from 3-point range, but the defense is getting stronger. The Rockets held the 76ers scoreless over the final three minutes on Wednesday and enjoyed a dominant performance from center Clint Capela, who collected 16 points, 20 rebounds and four blocks in 32 minutes. The 23-year-old scored in double figures in each of the first five games and is shooting 72.9 percent from the floor while recording three double-doubles.

ABOUT THE HORNETS (2-2): Capela should be in for a challenge on Friday from Howard, who played in Houston for three seasons and is in his first year with the Hornets after a disappointing one-year stint in Atlanta. Howard is averaging 17.8 rebounds after grabbing 19 in Wednesday's win and even enjoyed a decent night at the free-throw line against the Nuggets, knocking down 7-of-11 attempts. Howard is averaging 13.3 points as well, but Charlotte is also getting some offense out of the center spot from reserve Frank Kaminsky, who is averaging 19.7 points in the last three contests.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Rockets SF Trevor Ariza (foot) sat out Wednesday and is day-to-day.

2. Charlotte C Cody Zeller (knee) will miss his fourth straight game.

3. Houston took both meetings last season and 12 of the last 13 in the series.

PREDICTION: Rockets 109, Hornets 102