Houston Rockets vs Washington Wizards Preview

Dec 12, 2012; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets point guard Jeremy Lin (7) drives past Washington Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal (3) during the third quarter at the Toyota Center. The Rockets won 99-93. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports

Previewing the Houston Rockets matchup against the Washington Wizards Wednesday night by the numbers:

The number of assists the Wizards average per game, as a team , good for 8th in the NBA. Meanwhile, the Rockets have dropped to 24th in the league in that category, averaging just 16.1 assists per game. Not only will John Wall have to be contained, he’s shown that he’s improved in the area of setting up his teammates, averaging 8.4 assists himself.

The number of players for the Wizards who are averaging double figures in scoring, led by Wall at 19.8. While the Rockets have 5 players of their own reaching the same mark, the key isn’t to focus solely on Wall, as Bradley Beal, Trevor Ariza, and Martell Webster are all perimeter players who can carry the load as well.

24.8/11.5

Dwight Howard is averaging 24.8 points and 11.5 rebounds in the past 6 games, all wins, while shooting 65 percent from the field. More importantly, he’s making 66 percent of his free throws. Going up against his former teammate in Marcin Gortat, Howard dominated the lane to the tune of 23 points and 7 rebounds in the first game, with Gortat playing just 20 minutes due to foul trouble.