The Philadelphia 76ers hit the road to the great state of Texas to take on the Houston Rockets on Friday night. The 76ers are battling with the Celtics and Bucks for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. The Houston Rockets have been one of the surprise stories of the NBA thus far this season under new head coach Ime Udoku. They are 15-14 on the season including a 12-4 record at home.

Finding their Stroke

The Philadelphia 76ers rebounded from a Christmas Day loss without MVP Joel Embiid to pick up a comfortable 112-92 win against the Magic on Wednesday night, again without Embiid. Tyrese Maxey led the way with 22 points after struggling to find his shot on Christmas Day in Miami. Tobias Harris and De’Anthony Melton each chipped in with 22 points while Paul Reed, starting in place of Embiid, produced 15 points, 10 rebounds, and three rebounds in the decisive win. The Sixers have now won nine of their last 11 games.

“I think we certainly got to find another style to play because it’s so different when he’s there, and the first couple (games) weren’t great,” Sixers coach Nick Nurse said. “Playing well enough to give ourselves a chance to win is the main thing without Joel.”

The Sixers come into this inter-conference showdown with a 9-5 record away from home. They are fourth in the NBA in scoring offense this season. The Sixers are ninth in field goal percentage and sixth in 3-point shooting. The Sixers are just 18th in the league in 3-point field goals per game, although that number has certainly gone up in the last two games without Embiid. They are fifth in the NBA in points allowed per game this season. The Sixers are 7th in field goal defense and fifth in 3-point defense. They have done well protecting the basketball, ranked fifth in turnovers per game. They are 14th in the NBA in rebounding as well.

Key Injuries: C Joel Embiid and PF Nicolas Batum are both day-to-day.

Rocket Power

The Houston Rockets get set to host the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night, anxious to continue their home dominance this season. The Rockets come into this game at 12-4 at home compared to just 3-8 away from Houston. The Rockets have lost two straight at home, however, including a 129-113 loss to the previously struggling Phoenix Suns. The Rockets fell behind by 18 points at halftime and were never able to recover. Big man Alperen Sengun led the Rockets with 24 points and Jalen Green chipped in with 23 points including a season-high six 3-point field goals.

“(Green) was aggressive,” Rockets coach Udoka said. “Hunting his shots, looking at the basket more aggressively, getting downhill, and just making the right reads. With their big (playing) back he got some easy ones early on and it snowballed from there.

The Rockets hope to get back to their winning ways at home on Friday night. The Rockets are 24th in the NBA in points per game this season. They are just 25th in field goal percentage and 19th in 3-point percentage. The Rockets are just 20th in the NBA in 3-point field goals per game. The team’s true strength lies in the defensive end. The Rockets are ranked second in the NBA in points allowed per game this season. They are third in opponent’s field goal percentage and first in 3-point defense. The Rockets are also 7th in turnovers per game this season. They have done damage on the glass, ranking sixth in the league in rebounding.

Key Injuries: F Jabari Smith, F Dillon Brooks and G Victor Oladipo are all listed as day-to-day