Houston @ Golden State preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 3, 2019 ) Houston 135, Golden State 134

James Harden is in sole possession of the second-longest 30-point scoring streak in NBA history at an astounding 32 games, but his Houston Rockets are coming off a tough loss. The Rockets will try to solve some of their road woes and pick up a signature victory when they visit the Western Conference-leading Golden State Warriors on Saturday.

Harden collected 30 points, six assists and five rebounds before fouling out with 1:24 remaining on Thursday and watched from the bench as Houston finished squandering a 19-point lead in a 111-106 setback at the Los Angeles Lakers. The loss dropped the Rockets to 13-16 on the road and they sit in fifth place in the West, two games behind the fourth-place Portland Trail Blazers and nine shy of Golden State. The Warriors were a little rusty in their first game after the All-Star break on Thursday but rode All-Stars Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant to a 125-123 win over the Sacramento Kings. "A win is a win for us coming out of the break," Curry told reporters. "It was a good feeling, but we know that we can play better."

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC

ABOUT THE ROCKETS (33-25): Harden was heated after Thursday's loss due to what he felt were incorrect calls going against him, specifically four offensive fouls. "Scott Foster, man. I never really talk about officiating or anything like that, but just rude and arrogant," Harden told reporters of the 25-year veteran ref. "I mean, you aren't able to talk to him throughout the course of the game, and it's like, how do you build that relationship with officials? And it's not even that call (on the sixth foul). It's just who he is on that floor." The likely fine coming for those comments won’t keep Harden from his pursuit of Wilt Chamberlain's NBA-record streak of 65 straight games scoring 30 or more points.

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (42-16): Durant, who was named the MVP of Sunday’s All-Star Game in Charlotte, showed off his skills at both ends of the floor in Thursday's triumph. The free-agent-to-be collected 28 points, nine rebounds and four assists while matching a career high with seven blocked shots, including five against Sacramento rookie Marvin Bagley III. Curry added 36 points while going 10-of-16 from 3-point range, setting an NBA record with his fifth game this season with 10 or more made 3-pointers.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Rockets C Clint Capela (thumb) returned from a 15-game absence on Thursday and collected 12 points and 11 rebounds in 33 minutes.

2. Warriors PG Shaun Livingston (personal) sat out Thursday and is questionable for Saturday.

3. Capela recorded 29 points and 21 boards and Harden collected 44 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds in a 135-134 overtime win at Golden State on Jan. 3.

PREDICTION: Warriors 128, Rockets 118