A six-game slate headlines Sunday, with the showcase matchup seeing the Houston Rockets travel to New York to face the Knicks. Both teams have been inconsistent of late, so who steadies and strengthens their grip on a top-four seed?<\/p>\n
What should we expect when the Rockets head into Madison Square Garden?<\/p>\n
The Knicks have been wildly inconsistent. They were smashed by Detroit, bounced back emphatically against Boston, suffered a shock home loss to Indiana, crushed the 76ers, and then fell again to the Pistons last start.<\/p>\n
Houston has won three of its last four games, but the performances haven\u2019t been particularly convincing. This is a proper test on the road.<\/p>\n
The Knicks have been one of the strongest home teams in the league this season.<\/p>\n
They hold a 21-8 record at Madison Square Garden and boast the best home cover rate in the NBA at 65.5%.<\/p>\n
Houston, meanwhile, has failed to cover in seven of its last eight games. There are genuine concerns about the Rockets’ current form.<\/p>\n
Sengun looks out of form, and the Rockets have struggled to find consistency since Steven Adams went down.<\/p>\n
Over his last nine games, Sengun is averaging 16.7 points per game. However, that includes a 39-point outlier. Remove that performance and he\u2019s averaging just 13.9 points across the other eight games.<\/p>\n
He has cleared this line only twice in his last nine outings. It doesn\u2019t get easier against a Knicks defence that has restricted centres to 28% below league-average scoring over the last month, the toughest matchup in the NBA for the position during that span.<\/p>\n
Rebounding has been a strength for KAT all season.<\/p>\n
He has recorded a double-double in 15 of his last 19 games, including eight straight.<\/p>\n
Across his last ten, Towns is averaging 16.8 points and 13.9 rebounds. Against a Houston team that hasn\u2019t controlled the glass as well since Adams\u2019 injury, expect him to dominate again.<\/p>\n