The set-up: The Rockets shocked the Spurs with a 27-point win at San Antonio in Game 1. However, the Spurs have responded by winning Game 2 at home by 25 points and then earning back the home court edge with a 103-92 win at Houston in Game 3. That win came after the Spurs were informed that Tony Parker is through for the postseason plus the Spurs also survived a 43-point effort by James Harden. The Spurs now look to take a 3-1 lead in tonight's Game 4 in Houston, while the Rockets look for Harden's teammates to rebound from an awful Game 3 performance.

San Antonio: Parker is out for the rest of the postseason after rupturing a quadriceps tendon in Game 2 but Pop decided to keep Patty Mills in a backup role. Rookie Dejounte Murray (two points in 15 minutes) made the start on Friday and will be in the opening lineup again on Sunday. However, Mills scored 15 points in 30 minutes. Kawhi had a "typical" game on Friday, scoring 26 points with 10 rebounds and seven assists. However, the underachieving Aldridge made a big contribution as well with his best postseason game this year (26 points). He was 12-of-20 shooting in Game 3 after averaging just 9.5 points on 8-of-22 shooting over the first two games of the series.

Houston: Harden entered Game 3 having struggled from the floor in the last two games of the OKC series and the first two of this series. However, while Harden was terrific on Friday, his fellow backcourt teammates were just awful. Beverley plus reserves Gordon and Williams combined for 17 points (Williams was scoreless), going 6 of 27 (22.2%) from the floor, including 2 of 10 on threes. Starting SF Ryan Anderson had just two points and super-sub Nene, who starred against OKC, had just one point.

The pick: Maybe the Rockets are still not up to taking down the Spurs in this kind of setting but no way Houston shoots as poorly as it did in Game 3, again. Including the postseason, Houston has averaged 116.3 PPG at home but has also allowed 107.6 points. That makes the Over an 8* play.