New York Knicks vs. Houston Rockets: Keys To The Game

Jan 8, 2015; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks guard Langston Galloway (2) drives around Houston Rockets guard Corey Brewer (33) during the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden. Houston Rockets won 120-96. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Knicks picked up a hard fought victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder last night, knocking them off 93-90 on the back of a strong defensive effort. They will not have much time to celebrate the victory, as the Knicks four-game road trip continues tonight against the Houston Rockets on the second night of the back-to-back.

While the Knicks will be entering the game with some momentum winning Friday night, the same cannot be said for the Rockets. The Rockets are entering the off a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies Friday night, so they too will be on the second night of a back-to-back.

The Knicks will be catching the Rockets at a good time because of that, but also because they are a team in a bit of turmoil. They fired their head coach, Kevin McHale, earlier in the week because they said players were no longer buying in to what he was saying and tuning him out. He has been replaced by J.B. Bickerstaff on an interim basis, as the Rockets try figuring things out. It has been a fall far from grace for the Rockets in a quick span of time, as they were in the Western Conference finals just five months ago, and now their coach is out of a job.

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The Knicks will look to add to that turmoil tonight, as they enter with some confidence. Not only did they knock off the Thunder last night, but they are over .500 at 7-6 and have been strong on the road; they already have four wins away from Madison Square Garden compared to two losses.

On the other hand, the Rockets will enter the contest with a surprising 5-8 record, as they are 3-5 at the Toyota Center. They will be looking to turn things around and get off to a strong start on their three-game homestand.

This will be a contrast of styles, as the Knicks are one of the slower teams in the NBA, ranking 21st in possessions per game, while the Rockets like to play faster, ranking fourth. Whose style will prevail?

That will be one of the things to watch for when they take the court tonight. Check out our slideshow of the other keys to the game for the Knicks when they take on the Rockets tonight at 8 PM ET.

*All team stats are accumulated prior to the conclusion of Friday night’s games unless specified

Next: Matchup Of The Game