Pregame 16: Return of the Beard

In a few short hours

In a city very,  very close to home...

Game 16 

Return of the Beard

James Harden has returned to his home city 

of Oklahoma City in an attempt to save his

new ailing team from the clutches of mediocrity

Little does James know that THE THUNDER

have received a new player more efficient than

James was when he was on his first team.

When hot, this new player along with THE THUNDER

will spell certain doom for the team from the south

trying to become playoff contenders and bring

power back to Houston.

Yes, I did take a few liberties with the crawl from Return of the Jedi, but who can blame me when trying to create cheesy comedy? And my apologies to those who take offense with me placing the Thunder as the Dark side. Literally, it was the only way my joke would make sense. Anyways, on to business. This is the first game back for the former player, James Harden, who was traded two days before the trade deadline. James Harden has since become a force in the NB by being in the top 10 players as far as points per game, averaging 25.2 points. He has become a favorite topic for anyone in the NBA with the argument of whether or not he can lead Houston to the Playoffs. This is one of many games that James Harden can prove that he is all the player that people have seen him be in the last month and that he can lead his team to victory against playoff contenders, such as the defending Western Conference champion Thunder. Only time will tell who will make the best of the trade, whether it be the Thunder or James Harden and the Houston Rockets. Now on to the stats.

OKC Thunder Stat Leaders

Stat per game /Leader/ Number

Points- Kevin Durant(25.9)

Rebounds- Kevin Durant(9.2)

Assists-Russell Westbrook(8.6)

Steals- Kevin Durant(1.9)

Blocks- Serge Ibaka(2.9)

Houston Rockets Stat Leaders

Points-James Harden(25.1)

Rebounds- Omer Asik(12.4)

Assists-Jeremy Lin(6.4)

Steals-Jeremy Lin(1.9)

Blocks- Omer Asik(1.2)

Important Player of the Game: 

OKC- Kevin Durant. Many would think the offensive matchup between Kevin Martin and James Harden would be the most important but Kevin Martin players as mostly an offensive force so look to see more Sefolosha than Martin. Kevin Durant will still be the most important player because he will have to go head to head with Harden offensively and either match or surpass him in points to make this game comfortable.

Houston- James Harden. Harden is the lifeblood of the Rockets right now. When he is shooting above 45% field goal percentage, the Rockets are 5-0. When below 45%, the Rockets are 2-7. So the Rockets will go as James Harden goes. If Sefolosha can have a defensive effect on James Harden's game, look for the game to have a comfortable lead going into 4th quarter. If not, the game will come down to the wire.

Three Keys to the Game

1. Assists. The Thunder have been doing a good job of passing the ball around lately, so this is a trend that needs to continue.
2. Defense. The Thunder have slipped in and out from game to game on defense. Some games have shown great strides where as others have shown great letdowns. Defense will be key in shutting down passing lanes for Lin and scoring opportunities for Harden.
3. Rebounds. One of the constant criticism of the Thunder is rebounding. To make it a decisive victory tonight, the Thunder must have active hands and rebound well on the offensive boards.

The game is on NBA TV and Fox Sports Oklahoma @ 7:00 PM CT. Thunder Up!

(stats credit: ESPN Stats and Information)