Jeremy Lin News: Is the Houston Rocket a Target Because of His Race?
Jeremy Lin (R) signed a three-year $25 million offer sheet with Houston during the offseason. Reuters

One of the most popular players in the NBA looks to help his squad upset one of the best teams in the league on Friday night.

Jeremy Lin and the Houston Rockets will visit the San Antonio Spurs at 8:30 p.m. ET. You can watch a live stream online by purchasing NBA League Pass Broadband.

The Rockets are coming off one of their biggest wins of the 2012-2013 season. They defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 107-105 on Tuesday night in a come-from-behind victory. Houston outscored L.A. by 12 in the final period. They began to foul Dwight Howard towards the end of the game, and forced the poor free throw shooter to head to the line a total of 16 times.

Houston’s bench was the biggest reason for the victory. Toney Douglas, Greg Smith and Carlos Delfino combined to score 58 points. They picked up the slack for Lin and James Harden. Lin had just four points on two of eight shooting, while Harden missed 16 of his 19 shot attempts.

No matter who’s playing well, the Rockets usually find a way to score points. They’re second in the league, averaging 103.7 points per game.

The Spurs also sport a high-powered offense, scoring just one point fewer per contest. They’re success is predicated on excellent passing, as they lead the NBA with 24.5 assists per game.

Each team is playing well entering Friday night. Houston has won five of its last six games, while San Antonio has lost just one of its last eight. The Spurs only defeat in that time came in their controversial matchup with the Miami Heat. The organization was ultimately fined because Greg Popovich decided to leave Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Danny Green at home.

Even in a loss, the Spurs were able to show just how deep they are. San Antonio has the sixth-highest scoring bench in basketball, and seems to have success, despite any injuries they encounter. On Wednesday, they beat the Milwaukee Bucks, without four players.

If the playoffs started today, the two teams would face each other in the first round. The Spurs enter the game as the three-seed in the Western Conference at 15-4. The Rockets are currently seeded sixth at 9-8.

Betting Line: San Antonio-8.5, 212

Prediction: San Antonio 113, Houston 100

NBA