Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers try to extend their winning streak when they play the Houston Rockets on Mar. 26. Jason Miller/Getty Images

KEY POINTS

  • The Cleveland Cavaliers are heavily favored to book their fourth straight win against the Houston Rockets
  • The Rockets will be in for another tough night when they host the visiting Cavaliers
  • Donovan Mitchell is expected to spearhead the Cavs anew against the cellar-dwelling Rockets

The Houston Rockets are already eliminated from the 2022-23 NBA season and are simply going through the motions of finishing a rebuilding season.

The Rockets are just eight games away from ending their season and will be in action Sunday when they host the surging Cleveland Cavaliers at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.

It is hardly surprising that the Cavs are the heavy favorite to prevail over the Rockets. Cleveland is a -13.5 favorite to prevail over the cellar-dwelling Rockets. The moneyline set for this matchup is -1,087 for the Cavaliers and +700 for the Rockets, according to USA Today.

The Cavaliers are in the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference with a 47-28 win-loss record. They are on a three-game winning streak, with their last victory coming Thursday at the expense of the Brooklyn Nets, 116-114.

The hero of this game was Isaac Okoro, who made a three-pointer with 0.7 seconds left in that game.

"It was a lot of pressure put into the shot, of course," Okoro said after the game, according to a report by ESPN. "You always feel good with a game-winner. For me, it was my first one."

Donovan Mitchell led the way with 31 points and six rebounds. Evan Mobley added 25 markers for the night to go along with 16 rebounds.

The Rockets, on the other hand, are coming off a Friday loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, 151-114.

Jabari Smith Jr. and Kevin Porter Jr. finished with 20 points each in that rout. Smith also hauled down eight rebounds, while Porter had seven assists.

"We weren't physical with them. They were physical with us," Rockets coach Stephen Silas said after the game, ESPN reported. "We were just letting them run around wherever they wanted. Obviously, Kennard got going and we were just late (defending the 3-point line)."

In their regular season series matchup, the Cavaliers won in their first encounter last January, 113-95. Unless the Rockets come out with something special, the Cavs will likely come out winners and sweep their regular season series.

The Rockets brace for the surging Cavaliers on Sunday, with tip-off set at 6 p.m. EDT. The game will be telecast over Bally Sports, with live streaming also available via FuboTV.

Jabari Smith Auburn Tigers
The Houston Rockets try to play spoiler when they face the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday. Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images