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

The Rockets (18-9) have been midding over recent weeks, posting a 7-6 record over their last 13 games. The last three losses have been specifically baffling, losing to teams like the San Antonio Spurs, Detroit Pistons and Sacramento Kings. That has to make some wonder why this team has fallen off a bit since such a magical start but it's no fault of James Harden. The superstar shooting guard is leading the NBA with 38.9 points and 7.4 assists per game. That point total is truly absurd and it's becoming clear that this guy is unstoppable on that end of the floor. That pairs beautifully with Russell Westbrook's triple-double exploits and Clint Capela's 20-20 potential, making this one of the most dangerous teams in the NBA. As long as they maintain their number-two offense, look for Houston to climb back up the standings.

The Clippers (21-8) come into this matchup winning five of their last six games. What's really scary is their home form, entering this matchup with a 14-1 home record. That's truly incredible and the only time this team struggles is when Kawhi Leonard is rested. They have actually suffered five of their eight defeats with him out of the lineup and that's going to be a trend for the rest of the season with him unlikely to play in both ends of back-to-back sets. That means homecourt advantage could be lost rather quickly if this continues and that's really disappointing for a team who's only lost one home game all season long.

This is the third meeting between these teams in about a month, splitting the first two games. Prior to that, the Clippers won five of their previous seven matchups.