Overview
- Tipoff is 7 p.m. ET at Rocket Arena on ESPN, with Houston coming off a 117-113 overtime win over Orlando and Cleveland following a 118-106 victory over Milwaukee.
- Houston enters 9-3 and Cleveland 10-5, and recent betting lines list the Rockets as slight road favorites with a total around 233.5 points.
- Cleveland lists Darius Garland (toe), Max Strus (foot) and Jaylon Tyson (concussion) out, with Sam Merrill questionable; Houston is without Fred VanVleet (season-ending knee), Dorian Finney-Smith and Tari Eason, and Jabari Smith Jr. is questionable.
- The Rockets own the NBA’s most efficient offense and are grabbing over 40% of their missed shots, a glaring test for a Cavs team that has been middle of the pack on the defensive glass.
- Styles contrast sharply: Cleveland fires a league-high volume of threes, Houston attempts far fewer but at elite accuracy, and turnovers could tilt the possession count with the Cavs ranking among the best at forcing them.