PREVIEW: The Houston Rockets host the Golden State Warriors in Western Conference play Thursday at 7:30 p.m. EST , with the Rockets sitting third in the Western Conference at 38-22 while the Warriors occupy the eighth spot with a 31-30 record. The Rockets have been outstanding lately, posting a 7-3 record over their last ten games while averaging 112.1 points and shooting 49.1 percent from the field. Houston leads the Western Conference in rebounding, averaging 48.4 boards per contest , a crucial advantage that the Warriors will struggle with since Golden State is struggling on the glass while the hosts prove quite dominant in that area. While ShotQuality data is unavailable for both teams, the underlying offensive and defensive numbers tell a clear story of two squads heading in opposite directions . Golden State's injury situation has created a perfect storm that Houston will look to exploit throughout the evening. The Warriors will be without Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler III, Seth Curry, and several other rotation contributors due to injuries , leaving their offense unable to function properly without Curry available, forcing their defense to shoulder an unfair burden. The Warriors have gone 4-6 over their last ten games while averaging 110.9 points, 43.3 rebounds, 30.9 assists, 9.7 steals and 3.3 blocks per game and shooting 45.9% from the field. , highlighting their defensive vulnerability. The teams met earlier this season with Houston securing a 104-100 victory on November 27 , giving the Rockets valuable confidence heading into this matchup.