West-leading OKC visits a Houston team off to its best start through 20 games since the 2017-18 season.

NBA.com Staff

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder are set to take on the Rockets in a highly anticipated Western conference matchup Sunday.

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What’s better than one No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup on a Sunday?

A pair of top two teams battle as the West-leading Thunder visit a Rockets team off to its best start through 20 games since 2017-18 (7 p.m. ET, NBA League Pass).

• Houston’s rise began late last season as the Rockets made a push for the SoFi Play-In Tournament. Since March 1, Houston (30-13) has the third-best record in the NBA behind only Boston (34-9) and their opponent tonight – OKC (31-11)

The Thunder and Rockets not only sit No. 1 and No. 2 in the Western Conference standings, they also rank 1 and 2 in defensive rating in the entire NBA – OKC at 102.8 points allowed per 100 possessions and Houston right behind them at 103.7.

This matchup features seven of the top 10 defensive players in the NBA (per DefRtg, minimum 30 minutes per game).

• OKC’s Isaiah Hartenstein (93.3)
• Houston’s Dillon Brooks (99.4)
• Houston’s Alperen Şengün (101.6)
• OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (103.3)
• Houston’s Fred VanVleet (103.4)
• OKC’s Jalen Williams (104.6)
• Houston’s Jalen Green (105.7)

Full court defense

Both teams excel at taking away the game’s most efficient scoring zones – shots at the rim and shots beyond the arc.

• Inside: The Thunder (54.4%) and Rockets (55.9%) rank first and second, respectively, in lowest field goal percentage allowed within six feet of the hoop.
• How good is that? They hold their opponents 7.3 and 6.7 percent lower than their usual percentages around the basket.
• Outside: The Thunder (33.7%) and Rockets (33.8%) rank third and fourth, respectively, in lowest 3-point percentage allowed.

Game inside the game

With two teams so evenly matched, finding areas to take advantage will be critical to finding success.

• Fast break: The Rockets constantly seek transition scoring opportunities and rank second in the NBA with 18.7 fast break ppg. Can OKC keep the Rockets from getting easy buckets?
• Turnovers: The Thunder thrive on their opponents’ mistakes – leading the league in points off turnovers (21.3). Can Houston limit its turnovers against a Thunder squad that leads the league in steals (11.9) by two steals per game?