Rockets vs. Cavaliers 3 has obvious advantages. Another news was released before the game. Durant made it clear.

The Rockets, third in the Western Conference, will challenge the Cavaliers, second in the Eastern Conference, away from home. A head-on collision between the Eastern and Western rivals is about to take place. The Rockets are in a hot state of four-game winning streak. Their 9-3 record puts them firmly in the top three in the Western Conference, and now they are aiming for five consecutive wins. The Cavaliers lead the Eastern Conference with a record of 10-5 and have just won the Grizzlies and Bucks. Their state cannot be underestimated. However, the pregame plot of this matchup was quite tortuous. The Rockets had just confirmed that the three main players were injured, and there was bad news that core forward Jabari Smith Jr. was doubtful. Durant made it clear before the game, making this game full of suspense and excitement.

Let’s first talk about the recent performance of the two teams. One is really better than the other. The Rockets have not lost much since they found their rhythm at the beginning of the season, and they have recently posted an excellent trend of 9 wins and 1 loss. In their last home game against the Magic, they relied on their dual-core power at critical moments and narrowly defeated their opponents 117-113 in overtime, winning four consecutive games. Durant's performance in that game was simply phenomenal. He played 45 minutes and efficiently scored 35 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. Not only did he become the fastest player in the history of the team to reach 300 points in a season, but he also tied Westbrook in 30+5+5 games in his career, which is a solid level for the league's top stars.

Center Shen Jing continued his all-around performance, posting a near-triple-double of 30 points, 13 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 blocks, especially the tying goal at the end of the quarter, which directly dragged the game into overtime and became the number one contributor to the team's victory. In addition to the dual-core, the Rockets' role players are also quite impressive. Rookie Sheppard scored 16 points and 7 rebounds, and he can shoot three-pointers no matter how hard he makes them. Amen and Smith also both posted double-doubles, and the team even grabbed 60 rebounds, forming absolute pressure in the paint. This overall performance also made the Rockets' four-game winning streak seem well-deserved.

Looking at the Cavaliers, their recent performance is equally impressive. They first defeated the Grizzlies 108-100, and then defeated the Bucks 118-106 in a home focus game on November 18. With two tough victories, they proved their second place in the Eastern Conference. In the victory over the Grizzlies, Mitchell turned into a late killer, scoring 30 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, especially 14 points in the final quarter, directly directing a 17-2 winning climax and helping the team secure victory.

Mobley showed dominance on both ends of the offense and defense, contributing 22 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 blocks. Whether it was scoring inside or protecting the frame, he caused huge trouble for the Grizzlies. In the game against the Bucks, the Cavaliers even staged a comeback. After trailing by 14 points in the first quarter, they relied on the strong performance of their main players to tie and overtake the score step by step. Mitchell's touch was so hot that he made 14 of 22 shots, including 4 of 8 three-pointers. He scored 37 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists, and his shooting percentage was as high as 64%.

You know, this has been the norm for Mitchell recently. He averaged 32.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 6.4 assists in the past 7 games, and his state is considered to be the top in the league. Although Mobley's score was not as impressive as in the previous game, he still contributed 14 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 1 block, playing a key role in the offensive and defensive connection; Allen scored 12 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists, and his protection and scoring in the interior were quite stable; Hunter also scored 11 points and 5 rebounds, and the main lineup has more blossoms. In addition, the team's consecutive 10+ three-pointers have been refreshed to 101 games, and the offensive and defensive system has become increasingly mature. Such a Cavaliers are obviously not soft persimmons.

However, before the game of this focus match, both teams suffered from injuries to varying degrees, which also added a lot of variables to the direction of the game. For the Cavaliers, forward Struss continues to be injured due to a left ankle injury; defender Tyson was affected by a slight concussion and is also unable to play; core defender Garland, who was originally listed as doubtful, was finally determined to be absent due to injury management. This is undoubtedly a big blow to the Cavaliers' offensive end. You know, although Garland has only played 3 games this season, he averaged 13 points and 5 assists per game. He is an important organizer of the team's backcourt. His absence will most likely affect the Cavaliers' offensive rhythm.

The Rockets' injury situation is not optimistic either. Forward Tali Eason is recovering from an oblique muscle strain and still needs rest; guard VanVleet is recovering from a torn cruciate ligament in his anterior knee and is temporarily unable to return; forward Finney Smith suffered a sprained left ankle and is also injured. The absence of these three main players has already affected the Rockets' rotation to a certain extent, and another piece of bad news came before the game. Forward Jabari Smith Jr. was listed as doubtful for the game due to right knee tendinopathy. Whether he can play depends on the final test results before the game. Jabari Smith Jr. has averaged 14.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game this season. He is an important rotation for the Rockets' forward line. If he is absent, the Rockets' forward depth will undoubtedly decline further.

Despite facing injuries, the Rockets still have three obvious advantages in this matchup, which is also an important reason for them to win five consecutive victories.

The first advantage is its strong offensive firepower and outstanding efficiency. The Rockets' offensive performance this season is among the best in the league. Especially after Durant integrated into the team, their offensive power has skyrocketed. In the first 11 games, Durant scored 276 points, setting a season-opening scoring record in team history. His isolation and support abilities made the Rockets' offense more diverse. In the past 9 games, the Rockets have averaged 127.2 points per game. This kind of scoring ability is at the top level in the league.

At the same time, the Rockets' three-point shooting performance is also quite good. The team's three-point shooting percentage reached 42.6%, which is much higher than the Cavaliers' 35.1%. Among them, rookie Shepard's three-point shooting percentage is as high as 47.7%, which can be called one of the most accurate rookies in the league.. Looking back at the Cavaliers, after core guard Garland is absent, the organization and organization of the offensive end will be greatly affected. It is difficult to compete with the Rockets in terms of offensive efficiency and outside firepower. This will also become an important breakthrough for the Rockets in the game.

The second advantage is the balanced inside configuration and full dominance. The Rockets have a powerful combination of Adams and Shen Jing inside. Adams' net efficiency reached +18.4, firmly at the forefront of the league. Although he does not score much, he has the league's top level in terms of rebound protection and creation of second offensive opportunities. Shen Jing is one of the biggest surprises for the Rockets this season. He has grown into a quasi-triple-double machine. He has delivered close to triple-doubles many times this season. He also had an all-round performance of 25 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists. Whether it is scoring, rebounding or assists, he can provide a lot of help to the team.

In addition, the Rockets averaged 50.3 rebounds per game this season, far exceeding the Cavaliers' 43.9. The advantage in rebounding is quite obvious. Facing the Cavaliers' twin-tower lineup of Allen and Mobley, the Rockets' inside combination did not fall behind at all, and even suppressed rebounds and secondary offensive points. This will also become an important advantage for the Rockets in the game.

The third advantage is that the lineup is deep and there is no fear of injuries. The Rockets' lineup depth this season is among the best in the league, and they can even field three starting-level lineups. Even if the main players are injured, they can still have players with good strength to fill in in time. For example, two-way player JD Davidson, who once scored 26 points, 7 rebounds and 13 assists in a single game in the Development League, can return to the rotation at any time to help the team.

Even if players such as Ethan and VanVleet are injured, Holiday, Tate, Jeff Green and other players can step up and perform stably. The Cavaliers' lineup rotation is relatively more dependent on core players. After Garland's absence, the backcourt strength has declined significantly. Compared with the Rockets, there is also a certain gap in the strength of role players. In contrast, the Rockets' lineup depth can better deal with emergencies in the game. Even if Jabari Smith Jr. is ultimately absent, the Rockets have enough manpower to fill his vacancy.

It is worth mentioning that Rockets core Durant made it clear in an interview before the game. He said: "We are in a good state now, but this does not mean that we can take it lightly. The Cavaliers are a very good team. Their defense and internal strength are very strong. However, we have our own advantages. As long as we can play to our own level, defend and protect With good rebounds, I believe we can win this game and continue our winning streak.

Durant's words not only reflect the respect for the opponent, but also show the Rockets' confidence in winning. As the core of the team, Durant's state will undoubtedly directly affect the direction of the game. If he can continue his hot performance in the last game, the Rockets' probability of winning will undoubtedly increase.