Ben Simmons is coming off a career-best 42 points against Utah on Monday.
Rockets (11-16) at 76ers (18-10)
• After dropping the final three games (all against top five teams in the West) of their four-game road trip, the Sixers are back at home, where they are 11-2, tied with Utah and Milwaukee for the fewest home losses this season. The Sixers average 7.3 more points at home (118.4) than they do on the road (111.1); they attempt six more 3-pointers per game and shoot nearly three percentage points better at home (37.3%).
• Ben Simmons is coming off a career-high 42 points in Philadelphia’s 134-123 loss to the red-hot Utah Jazz. Simmons shot 15-26 from the field with only one field goal attempt coming from outside the paint. It was the first 40-point game in the NBA without a 3-point attempt in over a year, when Russell Westbrook had 45 points in a Houston win against Minnesota on Jan. 24, 2020.
• The Rockets dropped their sixth straight game on Monday, as the Wizards spoiled John Wall’s return to D.C. with a 131-119 win. Wall posted season highs of 29 points and 11 assists in the loss to his former team. It was Wall’s first double-double since Dec. 19, 2018 when his Wizards fell to the Rockets.
• Joel Embiid was a last-minute scratch prior to Monday’s loss to Utah. It was the sixth game of the season that Embiid has missed; the Sixers are 1-5 in his absence. The Sixers have been 16.5 points per 100 possessions better with Embiid on court (plus-10.8 net rating in 711 minutes) than when he’s off court (minus-5.7 net rating in 638 minutes). Embiid has scored at least 25 points in 13 straight games — the second-longest active streak in the league behind Luka Doncic’s 14.
• The Sixers average the third-most turnovers per game in the league (15.6) — a mark that nearly matches the opponent turnovers that Houston’s defense forces (15.3), which is the sixth-highest mark in the league. The Rockets have taken advantage of their opponents’ miscues as they rank fourth in points off turnovers (19.1 per game).
The Heat have won the last three meetings with the Warriors.
Heat (11-16) at Warriors (15-13)
• Stephen Curry ranks second in the league in scoring at 30.1 ppg. His scoring average has steadily climbed this season, from 26.5 ppg in December (four games), 28.0 in January (16 games) and now 34.2 in February (eight games). In February, Curry is shooting 58.3% overall, 49.5% on 3-pointers and 95.6% from the free throw line. His 77.2 true shooting percentage ranks first among the top 230 players in field goals attempted.
• The Heat (66.7%) and Warriors (66.3%) rank second and fourth, respectively, in assist percentage this season. The Warriors lead all teams with 4.4 secondary assists (a.k.a. hockey assists) and rank fourth in points created by assists (69.6). The Heat rank 28th in secondary assists (2.1) and 10th in points created by assists (67.4).
• This game marks the fourth of a seven-game Western Conference road trip for the Heat — their longest trip of the first half of the season. After beginning with a win in Houston, the Heat lost to Utah and the LA Clippers to fall to 4-9 on the road this season. Miami is shooting just 31.9% from 3-point range on the road (29th in NBA), compared to 38.4% at home (fourth in NBA).
• Draymond Green ranks sixth in the NBA in assists (8.3 apg). After averaging 6.6 assists over 16 games in January, Green’s assists have jumped to 11.6 through the first eight games of February. Green trails only James Harden (11.8 apg) for the highest assist average of the month. While Green is scoring only 6.0 ppg in February, he is creating 29.1 ppg with his assists.
• Jimmy Butler posted his second triple-double (30 pts, 10 reb, 10 ast) of the season (and of the week) in Miami’s loss to the Clippers on Sunday. Between the regular season and playoffs, the Heat had been 6-0 when Butler posted a triple-double before Sunday’s loss. Prior to joining the Heat last season, Butler had four triple-doubles over his first eight seasons in the league.
