The Los Angeles Clippers play host to the Houston Rockets at Staples Center on Friday.

The Rockets (11-4) had a ton of question marks heading into the season and an eight-game winning streak should have answered most of them. That has Houston sitting with one of the best records in the NBA, with James Harden having another masterful season. In fact, Harden is just shy of 40 points per game, driving opposing defenses absolutely crazy. With that said, the most recent loss to the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday did snap that winning streak. That's a tough place to go into and win but it makes it even tougher with a matchup like this following it up. This is a great test for Harden and Russell Westbrook though, as they're facing one of the only teams in the league who may have a better duo than this Clippers team.

The Clippers (10-5) duo is Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, who played their first game together in the most recent outing. That game was a brilliant one too, with Los Angeles prevailing in overtime, 107-104, against the Boston Celtics. Those are two great defensive teams and it truly felt like a game with a playoff-feel. What's funny is that George and Leonard both struggled in that game, making this team even scarier. Patrick Beverley and Lou Williams were the heroes and that emphasizes just how deep this team can be at times. The defense is going to be stifling with George, Leonard and Beverley on the floor and this will be a great test for them against two great offensive players like Harden and Westbrook.

Houston won their first game over Los Angeles this season, 102-93, on November 3. With that said, the Clippers won the season series last year, 2-1.