Month: December 2018

Rockets Seek to Tame Grizzlies, Carry Hot Streak into the New Year

Carryover Effect.  Starting a New River.  Put a Ring On It.

It was all a dream.  At least, that’s what most of the Rockets’ 2018 Calendar year seemed to be like when I reflect on the last 365 days.  Houston had the best regular season in franchise-history and was an injury away from its first Championship in 23 years.  James Harden finally won that MVP award that had eluded him ever so closely the previous 3 seasons.  Summer offseason came and the Rockets lost 2 rotational vets in Trevor Ariza and Luc M’bah Moute.  Houston opted to try the Carmelo Anthony experiment, hoping his close friendship with Chris Paul would help mend any difficulties Melo would have joining his new team.  Some friends are better left competitors, let’s just say, it just wasn’t a good fit.  The Rockets got off to a horrible 11-14 start to the season, amid chemistry issues, unwarranted panic, and a hangover from the season before, being so close to winning it all after having a record-breaking year.  Reigning-Executive of the Year Daryl Morey got to work, and showed the NBA why he’s the best GM in the league, especially when it comes to in-season adjustments.  Morey went out and got James Ennis (the Menace) in the offseason as well, but the most important moves he made all came after the Opening Night Massacre, besides making the clutch signing of Gary Clark after the University of Cincinnati graduate went undrafted.  Daryl “Shufflin’ D” Morey looked at his hand and realized he needed to do bet on the River.  Morey did what he does best.  Find the best acquisitions based on a team’s current needs.  Shufflin’ D pulled over the greatest in-season signing in NBA-history, when the Rockets picked up Danuel House, who is slowly becoming a household name.  More recently, after Chris Paul went down, Morey immediately signed Austin Rivers, the Austin Rivers.  The former heated ex-Clipper and rival who had a huge part in last season’s secret tunnel venture.  Except now Rivers is playing like he’s been with Houston all year long and has been a seamless transition into the Rockets’ system.  And then there’s James Harden, who started off the season groggily, but now is playing at a level very few players ever have, seemingly breaking-records with each game.  As 2018 comes to a close, the Rockets are arguably playing their best basketball of the entire calendar year, and they hope to carry this success into 2019.

The Beard looks to close out another record year with another record-breaking night.  He has a chance to break The Big O’s record of 7 consecutive games with 35 points and 5 assists, if he can put up those numbers tonight.  Harden also can break an NBA-record is he makes 4 or more 3-pointers tonight.  The Beard has hit 4 or more from long-range in the last 4 games apiece.  Just for kicks, The Beard is also shooting for his 10^th straight game with 30+ points, including looking for his 4^th 40-point game in a row.  If you shake James Harden’s hand right now, you might get a third-degree burn.  The man with the Beard has been the definition of “hot.”  He was just named the NBA’s Western-Conference Player of the Week a few hours ago, and should win the Award for the month of December as well, without a doubt.  If there was an award for player of the Calendar Year 2018, that would be the Beard’s too.  Harden’s playing with a level of determination, will, and focus that only 3 other perimeter players have ever played at (Jordan, LeBron, Kobe) in my opinion.  The Beard was been undoubtedly the best basketball player in all of 2018 and he looks determined to be even better in 2019.

The Rockets welcome the Memphis Grizzlies to town tonight and hope to end 2018 with a victory.  The Rockets try for 5 in a row as they currently have the longest winning streak in the NBA at 4 games in a row (all wins without Chris Paul, against tough competition).  The Grizzlies are fading after a strong start to the campaign.  Memphis started the season 12-5, but has dropped 8 of their last 11 games overall.  They’ve gone from a group that looked like it would be in the playoff race to a team that is slowly fading out of the crowded pack.  The West is better than ever, and only 8 teams will make the playoffs.  The Grizzlies are still in the thick of things in the crowded West, but their chances are slim, to say the least.  The Rockets on the other hand, look to continue to climb up the standings.  Eric Gordon suffered a knee injury in the previous game and is considered day-to-day, but will probably miss a few weeks.  Austin Rivers will be taking his spot in the starting lineup, with Chris Paul still out as well for the time being.  Rivers has been sensational and has been the perfect “glue guy”, along with Danuel House Jr., during Houston’s recent resurgence.  Both players leave it all on the floor, put their egos to the side, and know their respective roles to the highest degree.

Since acquiring Rivers, the Rockets are 3-0, and since inserting House into the starting lineup, they’re 4-0.  Houston shouldn’t miss a beat with this lineup change as they wait for others to get healthy.  James Harden’s getting all the credit, which almost all of it he deserves.  But without Austin Rivers and Danuel House, not to mention Nene and the other contributors who’ve really stepped up to the big stage, the Rockets would still be on the outside looking in on the playoff race.  Instead, they’re in the 5 slot and only 3.5 games out of first place in the bruising West.

They could get some more help tonight, as James Ennis “The Menace” is questionable and might finally return to the lineup.  Ennis was a starter, but House has earned his minutes as a starter since the Ennis injury.  It will be interesting to see what Coach D’Antoni decides to do as he continues to tinker with his lineup.  Don’t be surprised to see House remain in the lineup.  Just like the “Earned” jerseys (given to teams who made the playoffs last season) the Rockets will be wearing tonight, House has truly earned his spot on the roster, and possibly in the starting lineup for the remainder of the season.  The Rockets have yet to lose with him as a starter.  They’re also (coincidentally?) 3-0 when wearing the “Earned” jerseys they’ll be wearing tonight.  2018 was like a beautiful woman, one the Rockets wanted to engage.  A woman they fell in love with, but just couldn’t commit enough effort to solidify the marriage.  Entering this special new year, it looks like the Rockets have found something special.  In 2019, the Rockets aim to fully commit as a team, “Run As One”, and when the time comes, put a ring on it.

Toyota Center:  Houston, Texas

 

Jersey Colors:

Memphis Grizzlies (18-17):  Navy Blue

Houston Rockets (20-15):  “Earned” Crimson Red

 

TV:  6 PM CT – ATT Sportsnet SW

 

Rockets, Harden, Man of the House, Exact Revenge on Pelicans, 108-104

Bearding in the Big Easy.  This House Always Wins.  Continue the Grind.

Houston led by as many as 15 points last night, and played one of their best team efforts of the season. Despite a comeback bid from the Pelicans that made the game competitive on the final quarter, the Rockets came out the on top in New Orleans, closing out the Pelicans 108-104, and winning the 9^th of their last 10 games. The Rockets proved they can win anywhere despite their road record remaining below average at the moment, and James Harden made “Bearding” look as simple as 1, 2, 3 in the Big Easy as he scored 40 points for the third consecutive game. The Beard finished with 41 points, 9 boards, 6 assists. Oh, don’t forget about the 3 blocks and 2 steals for the superstar they say doesn’t play defense. James Harden put in yet another dominant performance, as he outplayed Anthony Davis (including hitting a clutch step-back 3 late in the game over the Brow) in a battle of the league’s top scorers. Harden also put his name in the NBA-history books, which he seems to be rewriting with each electric performance. The Beard joined the great Oscar Robertson, as the only players in NBA history to record 35 points and 5 assists in 7 straight games. Harden also tied Michael Jordan for 4^th on the NBA’s streak of games with 35 or points or more. Kobe holds the record with 13 games in a row scoring 35 or more points. Rockets fans need to appreciate this historic streak. James Harden is proving himself as one of the all-time greats as this season flies before our eyes. Just like Olajuwon, players like the Beard only come around once in a lifetime, and the Rockets know how fortunate they are to have their Bearded-leader. Houstonians must not take this for granted. It’s hard because he makes everything look so easy. Putting up video game numbers. Watch closely and you’ll see effort-wise and as vocal leader is where Harden’s game ahs improved the most. He’s truly leading the team this year. Last season he was deserved of the MVP, and the team’s best player, but Chris Paul was their leader, and it showed when CP3 got injured in the playoffs as the Rockets’ season came to an end. Harden will have to somehow continue “Bearding” through what the oncoming onslaught that is Houston’s most difficult 5-game stretch of the entire season, featuring matchups with the teams who are atop their respective conferences in the Milwaukee Bucks and the Denver Nuggets. Not to mention a date with the Warriors, at Oracle arena, in the Bay Area in what will be the Rockets’ first game of 2019 (and biggest challenge of the entire season so far). This stretch will big Houston’s most challenging of the season, and if they can pass is without Chris Paul, is should only boost their confidence even further for the playoffs.

James Harden has obviously been the best player in basketball for over a month. The difference-maker and guy who’s flying under the radar outside of Houston, is Danuel House Jr. Since inserting House into the starting lineup, the Rockets improved to 4-0, and have yet to lose. James Ennis returns on Monday, but don’t be surprised if House keeps his starting spot. The man has more than earned his playing time. House plays his heart out every night like P.J. Tucker and his addition to the team gave the Rockets the much-needed toughness and grit they were lacking when they got off to a struggling start. Last night, House had himself somewhat of a breakout performance on Saturday night in New Orleans. House was everywhere on both ends of the floor like he’s been since signing with Houston. This time he made a little noise in the box score as well with 15 points, 4 rebounds, a dime, and a swipe as he continues to make a difference, no matter who he shares court time with. Daryl Morey and co. made a gamble and it paid off big time. The house didn’t win. Morey and Houston’s House won, and it’s paid big dividends for both parties. The Rockets have been a different team since House joined the squad and has added depth to help place the loss of Trevor Ariza (House is currently on a 2-way contract that soon expires, which will then allow the Rockets to give him a one-way contract for the rest of the season). Speaking of depth, Austin Rivers continued to be sensational playing in a Rocket uniform. Rivers chipped in 10 points for the third-straight game, but was more aggressive opening up plays for teammates, leading the team with 7 assists. He has been another necessary installment to Houston’s system they were sorely lacking to start the season. An irritant in the backcourt. And just like the sorely missed Patrick Beverly, Austin Rivers is an irritant to opposing teams with his constant effort and in-your-face-defense. He’s a better shooter than Beverly, and his smooth transition into the Rockets system has been fascinating to watch. It’s as if he’s been with the Rockets the entire system. The definition of a “perfect-fit.” The Rockets improved to 3-0 since acquiring Austin Rivers, another player from the second unit who does the little things to make a big difference. Speaking of making a difference, Nene has been arguably the wisest and most mistake-prone player on Houston. Plus/minus is a funny stat. It can be seen as a sign of coincidences. Or if the numbers are consistent one on end or the other, the stat can really show mind-boggling evidence of the difference a player’s presence makes on the floor, especially when accounting for minutes played. To give a few examples of who is really making the stat one worth taking a glance at let’s look at Danuel House: House has been on the plus side in almost every game he’s played in, making the case that he always makes a positive difference on the floor. If you’re watching the games, you can see the obvious difference he brings to the Rockets in terms of hustle and defensive pressure, stats that don’t always show up in the box score, but certainly affect a player’s plus/minus. The reason I’m bringing this stat up is it really shows the difference, Nene, in limited playing time, really makes when he’s on the floor. Nene has played only 25 minutes in the last 2 games combined, but he has a staggering plus/minus of +40 in those two contests, meaning the Rockets outscored their opponent by 40 points in the 25 minutes Nene was on the floor in the past two games. That’s not a coincidence. Nene’s veteran presence, toughness, and basketball-IQ are such an overlooked yet precious part of the Rockets system. The big man is one of the backups for Clint Capela. Despite Capela’s all-star caliber season, the Rockets are obviously weakest at the center position in terms of depth. They have Capela, Nene, Hartenstein (currently in the G league) but it’s by far the weakest spot on the roster in terms of player-depth. Capela had a quite game offensively compared to the hot streak he’d been on with only 6 point and 7 rebounds, but he managed to contain Anthony Davis, with help from Nene, allowing the NBA’s best big man only 22 points and 11 rebounds. Health to the big men is essential for Houston to win a title. People forget, but last season Nene got injured, and the Rockets weren’t the same in the playoffs without him, despite getting so close to the finals. The smallest pieces can still make the biggest differences, even when your biggest star is putting on the show of a lifetime.

Houston needs to continue to grind. Just as Eric Gordon was finding his groove again, he finished one of his more efficient games of the year with 21 points on 9 of 14 shooting, EG went down with a knee injury and is getting an MRI Sunday morning. The severity of the injury is unknown at this time, although it looks to be nothing devastating. It’s just unfortunate as EG will have to find his shooting rhythm once healthy and the leg-strength and using your knees instead of all upper-body strength is key to being a successful shooter. The Rockets can only hope Gordon won’t be out for long, and he’ll be able to find his rhythm he had tonight once he returns to the lineup. Gary Clark should be given an opportunity in minutes. The rookies hasn’t seen much playing time since earlier in the season, but Clark was the brightest part of Houston’s dreadful start and the first of 4 major post-draft acquisitions that have more than made up for the absence of Ariza and Luc. These 4 essential guys being, House, Rivers, Clark, and Ennis. I’ll take a combination of those 4, the first 2 alone, over Ariza and Luc this season any day. They just need more time to fuse together as a unit, and increase some shared court time. The natural chemistry each guy brings is an added-bonus, and Houston now has the only good problem in the NBA to have (how to deal with too much depth). D’Antoni will figure it out, and the Rockets will continue to roll without EG as other members of the squad get more opportunities to prove their worth in D’Antoni’s eyes for more minutes on the floor. Up next for the Rockets, the grind continues, with a visit from the Grizzlies, the team who appropriately nicknamed their arena the “Grindhouse.” The Rockets have been playing with that Grizzly-grind-it-out mentality since the Harden statement dunk against the Lakers to begin his epic record-setting stretch. The Rockets need to continue to play gritty basketball as the toughest 5 game portion of the season begins on New Year’s Eve as the Memphis Grizzlies come to town. Hopefully, more of that Memphis Grizzly grind-it-out style of play will continue to rub-off on the Rockets and they can end 2018 on a high note, and ride into the New Year in style.

Rockets Looking for Payback Against Pelicans in New Orleans

Return the Favor.  Beard vs. Brow.  Road Bumps?

Thank you, New Orleans.  The Rockets needed a punch in the mouth (what turned out to be a quarter of a season’s worth) to wake up.  Houston won a franchise-record 65 games last year.  It took a few punches to show them the past doesn’t mean they can just show up, and expect the same success in the following season.  The Pelicans started all the WCF hangover talk with their thumping of the Rockets in Houston’s home opener to start the season.  A lot has changed since October 17^th, the night New Orleans came in to Toyota Center and put a damper on the Rockets’ new season.  After that night, for a majority of the start to the season, the Pelicans looked like a legitimate Western Conference playoff team.  And, Houston, well, was shocked.  And played like they were stunned for the first quarter of the season.  Until their MVP’s recent astonishing play, the Rockets looked like they were worse than last year’s team.  Houston finally woke up.  The Rockets are 8-1 in their last 9 games and have turned things around despite Chris Paul’s absence in the past 3 games (all victories) against playoff-caliber competition.  Tonight, the Rockets look to get revenge for their opening night loss.  The squad travels to New Orleans, to take on Anthony Davis and the sliding Pelicans.  New Orleans just snapped a 5-game losing streak last night, by narrowly beating Dallas, and the Pelicans are fading from the crowded Western Conference playoff picture.  As for the Rockets, they continue to rise in the standings and are only 2 games in the loss column behind the Warriors, as they creep up the standings while the Beard reminds the NBA why he’s still the MVP.  James Harden continues to play the best stretch of basketball in his career, and has resurrected a team whose hopes for a championship were once a lost cause.  The Pelicans also boast one of the NBA’s best, in Anthony Davis, by far the biggest challenge Clint Capela faces in a matchup all season.  Capela has been playing extremely hard on the glass, and has been efficiently productive, playing like a real All-Star, under the radar during Harden’s tear and return to the MVP discussion.  The Rockets look to return the favor.  Repaying the beat-down they received on opening night to a Pelicans team that is more associated with Anthony Davis trade-rumors at the moment than making the playoffs (even though they’re still in the mix).  The Rockets have won 12 of their past 13 home games.  Hopefully, a few road bumps won’t affect their groove as they try and gain more ground in the West over a New Orleans team that has been going in the wrong direction since opening night.  This is a huge game considering 3 of the next 4 are on the road, with each game being against a playoff team in the West.  Included in this upcoming stretch of games is the first road meeting of the season with the Warriors at Oracle on January 3^rd.  The Pelicans always seem to play their best against Houston, and the Rockets will really need to be sharp if they want to come out of New Orleans with a victory.  The rebounding battle is the most important aspect of this game, along with containing Anthony Davis (who only had 48 points and 17 rebounds last night against the Mavs).  If Capela and the Rockets continue to dominate the glass like they have been, and Harden continues his all-time season, Houston shouldn’t have a problem getting revenge in New Orleans on Saturday night.  This time, they’re ready to punch back.

Smoothie King Center: New Orleans, Louisiana

 

Jersey Colors:

Houston Rockets (19-15): “Earned” Crimson Red

New Orleans Pelicans (16-20): “Earned” White

 

TV: 6 PM CT – NBA TV & ATT Sportsnet SW

Harden Continues Atmospheric Play, Leads Rockets Past Celtics, 127-113

He Never Left.  A Difference a House Makes.  Scenery Change.

A franchise can only pray and hope in desperation, that luck and happenstance (or some magic a la Daryl “Shufflin’ D” Morey) will land them a superstar.  The Rockets were extremely lucky to get Daryl Morey as their General Manager.  There’s no arguing he pulled off the greatest trade this decade, arguably the greatest in NBA history.  Shufflin’ D gave away a few mediocre players and draft picks for Harden, the definition of a player that is the face of a franchise.  The Beard.  But James Harden is more than just the face of the Houston Rockets.  Right now, as much as LeBron James’ move to LA is a topic that gets more conversation than Harden, the Beard is the face of the NBA now.  And it all started with that statement dunk on JaVale McGee that Harden had against the Lakers, and then flexed in LeBron’s direction, as if letting him know he’s the face of the league now.  LeBron is still the most popular player in the NBA, and certainly generates the most discussion, but like I stated weeks ago, that dunk by Harden was the play that turned Houston’s switch from off to lift-off mode.  The play was a statement.  The Rockets are 7-1 since, and Harden’s actions have backed his statement.  The Beard was just reminding everyone he was back in the discussion for MVP.  He never left.  It just took a few bad calls and pokes in the Beard to get back to a level that I didn’t even see coming.

If you’re reading this, you probably don’t know me.  If you do, when I say I know more about the Rockets than anyone, you know I’m not trying to brag.  It’s just the truth.  I can’t help where my heart and soul is, and they’ve always been with the Rockets.  I’ve followed the Rockets since around age 3 (or as long as I can remember), and my life revolves around Houston Rockets basketball.  As much as I love James Harden (I own 8 different Harden jerseys, alone), I never thought he could find that mental aspect of the game that is necessary in order to truly know you’re the best player in basketball.  But the Beard actually found it.  Harden knows he’s the best, and I’ve never been more impressed or intrigued as to what he can potentially accomplish.  This season, with this Rockets team, even without CP3.  James Harden is proving he’s more than just a superstar.  The Beard’s a legend, in the midst of creating his own legacy as one of the best players to put on a jersey.  James Harden is not only playing like, but knows, for the first time in his career, that he’s truly the NBA’s best player.  You could argue against that last year, despite his MVP season. But this year, there is no argument.  Harden proved that again on Thursday night, as he led the Rockets past the Celtics, 127-113, in another impressive win at Toyota Center.  The Beard had another stellar performance, with his career-high 8^th straight 30-point game.  Harden finished with 45 points and has dropped 40 or more in half of the last 6 games, including 35 points or more in each.  The Beard is in a zone few players in the history of the game have ever been lucky enough to experience.  The toughest player to guard isn’t always the best player, but this season, Harden can make claim to both of those titles.  The Beard poses a lethal combination of this status that makes him impossible to stop.

MVP? The annual league-wide discussion about who’s the NBA’s most “valuable” player (including the difference between “valuable” and “best”) is usually debatable throughout the season.  Although, this season, there might not be much of a debate.  Especially if Harden continues playing like a man hell-bent on a quest for revenge, while loading the box-score with video game like-numbers.  Last year James Harden desperately wanted to win the MVP award.  Understandably so, the Beard had been denied the award at least twice due to biased voting in the past, when he was clearly the league’s most “valuable” player.  Last season, and in the playoffs, Harden wanted to win the championship.  But, honestly, last year, did The Beard have that desperate sense of urgency necessary to win a championship?  No.  Sure, he wanted to win a title, but Harden wanted to win the MVP more.  He’d been robbed of the award multiple times and that’s what fueled his incredible season last year.  Now that Harden’s finally been recognized as the Most Valuable Player, he can truly believe it himself.  Not that that the Beard didn’t believe he was the MVP.  He certainly did.  It’s one thing to know you’re the best, but to be finally acknowledged as the best, by your peers and the league, only instills more confidence in yourself.  James Harden has more confidence than he’s ever had before.  The kind of confidence that makes you can believe in the cliché “anything is possible.”  This supreme level of confidence, in which you believe you can conquer whatever you want, truly can only come from within the deepest depths of the soul, that desire, the desire to really want to win.  And this year, The Beard desperately wants to win the NBA Championship.  The kind that motivates only the elite to do what no else can. Leading your team to a championship.  Last season, James Harden was the Rockets most valuable player, but he wasn’t their leader.  That job belonged to Chris Paul, and it showed when his injury cost the Rockets their shot at the title.  But this year, James Harden is the Rockets’ leader, and the league’s MVP (the NBA hasn’t realized this just quite yet).  The Beard is playing with the necessary sense of urgency required to win a title.  If the Rockets aren’t the last team standing in June, don’t expect to see James Harden at a club anytime soon after the season, contrary to the infamous Game 6 vs. the Spurs.  That game ended the Rockets’ season in 2017, and featured Harden’s most embarrassing playoff performance of his career.  Shortly after the game, Harden was seen partying at a club in Houston.  There will be no celebration, of any sort, if Harden doesn’t get to hold the Larry O’Brien trophy in June.  This season, look closely, and you’ll see Harden desperately wants to win the NBA Championship, this year more than any season in his career, like winning the title is some sort of personal vendetta for the Beard and his growing legacy.

Meanwhile, as the reigning-MVP continues to put the NBA on notice, Clint Capela has slowly emerged as the best rebounder in the NBA. Capela has pulled down a monstrous 64 rebounds in his last 3 games, alone.  Houston’s big man is proving he’s more than just a double-double machine, and even impressing me with his consistency and dominance over whomever he faces off against in the paint (it doesn’t get any tougher next for Clint, as he travels to take on Anthony Davis).  Clint Capela may still be unfamiliar to many outside of Houston, but he’s starting to play like an All-Star every night.  I will be shocked if he’s not named to be an All-Star this season, he truly deserves a spot.  Although I won’t be too shocked, as the center position has been taken away from All-Star voting, and Capela will be in a mix of the NBA’s best (and most popular) forwards.  Nonetheless, Capela is so important to the Rockets success, his dominance on the glass have creates so many second chance opportunities that have result in changed possessions, which result in changed games, which result in changed seasons. Clint Capela makes a HUGE difference.  He’s not James Harden, but the Rockets can’t win a championship without Capela.  And their House.  Not the arena they play in, the Toyota Center.  Their clutch in-season acquisition and fellow-Houstonian, Danuel House Jr., who is quietly the most overlooked player in all of sports at the moment.  At least when it comes to winning, House is an (if not, the) X factor.  He’s more than filling in for Trevor Ariza.  Along with the addition of Austin Rivers, who had another solid performance in only his second game as a Rocket, the new additions to this season’s Rockets team actually fit better than Trevor Ariza and Luc M’bah a Moute, the key components Houston lost in the offseason.  Again, the genius of Daryl Morey and his ability to make changes in-season to improve his teams is astonishing.  Last year, Gerald Green was the guy who came out of nowhere to spark the Rockets.  This year, it’s Danuel’s House.

Houston is 8-1 in their last 9 games.  Out of all the possible 3-man combinations the Rockets have used during this 9-game stretch, Danuel House is in each of the top 6 in terms of plus/minus, or net rating.  That is simply an astonishing stat that cannot be overlooked.  There’s no coincidence the Rockets have been better since they got House.  The Beard’s the best in the world, Capela’s playing better than ever, but House contributes no matter who is on the floor.  I’m not a big stat guy but this stat is too important not to discuss.  House also is in the top 5 duos during the stretch, with him and Gerald Green (The GreenHouse Effect) being the top plus/minus duo for the Rockets.  No, not Harden and Chris Paul.  Or Harden and Capela.  Green and House.  The GreenHouse Effect is real and it may not show up in the glossy part of the box score but if you pay close enough attention, the fellow Houstonians bring a unique defensive intensity with them to floor along with an amazing ability to space their floor with their respective shooting threat from outside.  They, along with Rivers are the key to the Rockets bench.  And James “Ennis the Menace” is still out with an injury, and he’s a starter.  Factor in a healthy Chris Paul, and once Eric Gordon (who’s quietly getting better with each game) returns to the bench, you have one of the deepest, most versatile teams in the league with, James Harden, who, beyond a doubt, is the best player in the NBA this season.  Thursday night, the Rockets beat another contender without Chris Paul.  Houston held Kyrie Irving to only 23 points, despite some clutch 3’s to keep the Celtics in the game in the 2^nd half.  Capela’s 24 point’s and 18 rebounds secured the paint.  Eric Gordon scored 20-points on improved shooting, and the hustle of P.J. Tucker, Danuel House, and Gerald Green was contagious.  The entire squad wanted it more than Boston and Houston proved that last night.  Austin Rivers, Nene, the entire team really played exceptionally well.  Every single player contributed in some way or form to the victory, despite the Beard getting the majority of the credit.  That often doesn’t happen in NBA basketball, the Rockets will need to keep playing with this team effort if they want to avoid wearing down the Beard’s workload and keep winning without Chris Paul.

Up next, the Rockets face a change of scenery after being home for a while.  They travel to New Orleans to face the Pelicans and the best big man in the NBA, Anthony Davis.  The Pelicans always seem to give Houston a challenge, and they embarrassed the Rockets in their home opener at Toyota Center.  Anthony Davis is as tough they come.  Outside of Harden he’s arguably the league’s best player, certainly the NBA’s best man in the paint.  The Rockets will be looking for some revenge for their season-opening loss to the Pelicans.  Lucky for Houston, they’ve got their main-man, on a quest for revenge, don’t expect Harden to stop his mission for anyone.  Opponents can only pray he misses.  Lately, their prayers haven’t been answered by the basketball-gods.  The same basketball-gods, that give Houston the injury bug, at the worst of times.  But these basketball-gods also gave the Rockets Daryl Morey, who got them James Harden.  Injuries affect every team, every season.  Despite all their injuries the Rockets have Harden, who scored 45-points on a night he was questionable to play.  What he can bring come playoff time could be something truly special.  The Rockets will likely have some sort of injury situation, as most teams can’t endure an 82-game season unscathed.  However, the Rockets have James Harden, the NBA’s best player, who seems to also be the league’s most durable (especially considering LeBron just suffered the first lengthy injury of his entire career, another sign of the passing of the torch from one James to another).  No matter who the Rockets will have, come playoff time, bet on James Harden being ready to go.  And he wants a different trophy this season.  The Warriors aren’t exactly themselves either as poisonous chemistry slowly destroys their season, and their “dynasty”, or whatever they had.  If the Rockets and Warriors meet in a rematch to go to the Finals, this time the best player is James Harden (not Curry, Durant, etc.), and the team with the best player usually wins, especially when he’s desperate.

 

Rockets Host Celtics in Battle of Rising Teams

To Beard or Not to Beard?  That Truly is the Question.  The Title.

Is James Harden possessed?  I’ll touch on that in much more depth later in this column.  But first, let’s focus on tonight’s matchup: the Boston Celtics come to Toyota Center on Thursday night, in a battle of teams rising in their respective conferences.  Similar to the Rockets, the Celtics started off the season slow, but are warming up, back to their expected form as title contenders in the East.  For some teams, it takes the bringing of the New Year to awaken and re-ignite each respective squad’s highest gears.  Boston had been inconsistent earlier in the season, but the Celtics are coming off back-to-back wins over the Hornets and Sixers, respectively, and slowly rounding into form.  Kyrie Irving put on a show in front of the Boston fans on Christmas as he led the Celtics past the Sixers with 40 points and 10 rebounds.  Irving will be a handful for any Rocket designated to try and guard him.  Hopefully, Austin Rivers defense from the previous game on Russell Westbrook will carry over to tonight.  Houston will need it.  Contrary to Westbrook, Kyrie’s been more aggressive as of late.  The Rockets have bodies to throw at Uncle Drew on the defensive end, but the C’s boast one of the deepest, versatile rosters in the NBA.  Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Terry Rozier, and others who I haven’t mentioned are all rising talents in the league and usually find ways to contribute to the C’s success.  Don’t be surprised if tonight’s clash goes down to the wire, as both teams seem to have a regained focus on their goal of winning the title.  Houston as a team has brought their intensity to a higher level (led by the MVP) on the defensive end, and is focusing on the intangibles (hustle, girt, attention to detail, working together) that win basketball games, intangibles that don’t always show up in the box score.  Danuel House Jr. continues to be the in-season signing of the year, filling in much of the void left by Trevor Ariza’s departure in the offseason.  The Rockets will need to be at their absolute best defensively if they want to gut out a win tonight, especially if James Harden is dressed in street clothes.  Clint Capela goes up against another strong big, in Al Horford.  Capela can only record so many 20 rebound games.  The Rockets have to crash the glass as a team.  The Beard is questionable for tonight’s matchup with a left calf contusion.  Houston can’t afford to wear out Harden, even though he truly is playing better than anyone in the league.  I would rest him tonight for the long run, but we’ll see what approach D’Antoni and company takes when it comes to The Beard’s questionable status.  One thing is certain for tomorrow: he does love to play the game.  James Harden truly loves to play the game of basketball.  It’s hard to keep those kind of players off the court, especially in big matchups.  And anyone that loves basketball knows the history of the game and the Celtics have more titles than any team in NBA history (17).  The Beard may not yet have that title of NBA Champion, but there’s another title he currently owns.  Best player in the game.  May sound simple, but few players ever achieve that status in their career.  James Harden is questionable for the game in the first place, although I expect him to play unless the coaching staff leans on giving him a breather in perspective of the bigger picture (which I wouldn’t be opposed to).  If the Beard does play, it probably won’t be his best of games (although he looks like can do anything at the moment).  I want to take a moment to dive a little more in-depth as to what the Beard is actually accomplishing, instead of just focusing on his video game-like stats.  The intangibles of the game’s mentality that don’t get discussed on ESPN, or even on the local media are what separates the legends from the rest fo the Hall of Fame pack.  The mental aspect of the game, relating to James Harden this season, is unlike any season in his career.  First of all, the guy actually loves to play basketball.  You can’t say that about everyone in the league.  Even some of the best.  Everyone in the NBA loves money, but not every player necessarily loves to play.  When you combine a true love for the game of basketball with a one-of-a-kind talent you get an athlete possessed.  Someone with the utmost confidence in his own abilities combined with knowledge of other teams’ game planning.  A mindset, one that borders on Jordan-esque.  This mentality is key to winning championships.  Don’t poke the Beard, especially this year.  This season, James Harden is playing like a man possessed.  Like someone grabbed the Beard’s only son from his hands and kidnapped him.  And now Harden’s on a vengeance to get revenge on anyone who gets in his way.  I’ve yet to see a player be able to truly contain him this season.  Harden can only stop himself, by overdoing it on the hardwood.  The Beard is the only one who truly knows his limits, stamina-wise.  Let’s get what to Harden’s really cooking up this season.  I didn’t even see this level of determination and fire coming from Harden this year.  Go ahead, look at the stats, and they’re even better than ever for the Beard.  But what’s even more amazing is the way he’s playing, specifically the mental aspect of the game.  Which often goes un-talked about by sports reporters and the media.  If you’re paying close attention and really watching Harden’s game, you can notice that he’s playing with a fire and intensity that’s truly in a different atmosphere.  Compared to last season it’s a complete revelation.  This year, James Harden knows he’s the best player in the league.  Last season, he proved doubters wrong by finally winning a much-coveted MVP award glittered with glossy stats.  Harden played with the mindset that he was the best, but deep down he knew he wasn’t the best player.  This season the Beard knows it’s different.  He can feel it, and it’s truly a mental aspect of game only few can relate to.  One has to be logical and realistic despite the way some NBA players seem superhuman, there is only one best player in the NBA at a single time (despite all the talent).  Although, everyone plays (at least the top players), with the mindset that they are the league’s best.  But only one guy really knows who’s the greatest player to take the court, in any particular season.  And that’s the best player, and that’s what makes him the best.  Most years it’s been LeBron, before that Jordan, Duncan, Shaq, some might argue Kobe at points in his career.  More recently it’s been LeBron (still) and/or (as much as I hate to admit) Kevin Durant.  However, right now, that title of the NBA’s best player belongs to James Harden.  He might not win the MVP award again this season.  The Beard probably won’t.  A lot of times the best player in the league doesn’t win MVP.  Michael Jordan didn’t.  MJ won 5 MVP awards but was clearly the best the league had to offer for over a decade.  He honestly should have at least 8.  LeBron should have more. And so should Harden.  But the first time in his career, the Beard is actually playing like it, like he’s earned more respect.  Maybe all the unfair scrutiny by trying to find ways to pinpoint errors in the game of a one-of-a-kind player who’s revolutionizing the way the game is played motivates Harden.  Whatever he did in the offseason worked.  This season, the Beard is on a mission unlike any other.  The kind of missions the aforementioned went on, and won titles.  I’m not saying the Rockets are going to win the Championship.  The injury issues have ALWAYS stopped this team since they last won it all, back in 1995.  If Harden can’t go tonight, the Rockets will obviously look like a completely different team.  They can bring all the effort, but a team cannot fill the void of greatness.  We’ll see if Harden is able to give-it-a-go.  If Houston plays it safe, it should be clearly evident that James Harden is the MVP again this season.  Greatness brings hope.  The Beard’s playing at an elite level of greatness, one that few players ever get to experience.  If Chris Paul can somehow STAY healthy throughout the playoffs, and if Harden keeps this title, as the single best player in the NBA, he just might bring another one to Houston with him.

 

Toyota Center: Houston, Texas

 

 Jersey Colors:

 Boston Celtics (20-13): Black

Houston Rockets (18-15): “Earned” Crimson Red

 

TV: 7 PM CT TNT, ATT Sportsnet SW

Rockets Silence Thunder, 113-109, Behind Harden & Capela

Clutch Debut.  MVP Form.  Rising All-Star.

For all the Houston Rockets have been through this season, Christmas always brings the possibility for improvement and positivity towards the future.  That cheery holiday spirit.  This Christmas, Houston’s gift arrived just in time, and was unwrapped for the entire league to see.  On the biggest day of the regular season, the atmosphere at Toyota Center resembled that of a playoff game.  And the Rockets prevailed, 113-109, outplaying the Thunder in the 2^nd half en route to their most impressive win of the season.  No Chris Paul.  In a contested game.  One that was close, and went down to the final minute.  Featuring a new addition his first game with his new team, holding a former MVP to one point in the 4^th quarter.  I don’t care if you look at it as just a great win and some happenstance of luck, but that’s more than just an impressive victory in my eyes.  The Rockets look like they’re back, even as Chris Paul will remain sidelined for a few weeks.  Most expected Houston to lose one if not two of their previous games against legitimate competition, but the Rockets came out on top. In both instances being close games, that were hard-fought, and won as team efforts (despite Harden’s historic season, he can’t do everything himself).  A few weeks ago, if you told me on this date, the Rockets would be only 3 games in the loss column behind the titanic Golden State Warriors, I would have questioned your sobriety.  Look at the standings, and you’ll see Houston is slowly making a climb in the crowded West.  Against Oklahoma City, the Rockets unveiled their latest present and newest addition to the squad, Austin Rivers.  The former Clipper and secret tunnel expert was clutch down the stretch on both ends of the floor, which I’ll discuss in depth later.  The first Christmas Day game in Houston proved that, if the Rockets aren’t back yet, they’re certainly far from dead.  Led by (who else) James Harden, with 41 points, 7 dimes, 6 boards, and 2 steals, the Rockets trailed for much of the first half, and won only their second game this season when trailing entering the final quarter.  They gathered themselves at the break, and outplayed OKC in the second half to storm past the Thunder for a huge victory that propels them further up the standings.  Harden continues playing even better than his MVP campaign last year, and set a Rockets record for points on Christmas Day with 41, gifting another win for the Rockets in a slate full of dominant performances.  This was the Beard’s 7^th straight 30-point game, as he continues to display one of the greatest individual seasons in NBA history.  Is he in the MVP conversation?  Keep watching, listening, and reading, and you’ll see, he’s slowly becoming THE conversation.  Clint Capela had another beastly contribution, outplaying yet another opponent’s big man, this time Steven Adams, with another dominant performance in the paint.  Capela became the first Rocket since Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon to record back-to-back 20 rebound games, scoring 16 points, while grabbing 23 boards, a new career-high for Houston’s big fella.  If Clint Capela isn’t named to the All-Star team it’ll be the biggest snub in NBA All-Star history, proving even more the All-Star game is just a popularity contest.  Popularity doesn’t win titles, great basketball does.  And Clint Capela has been playing out-of-his-mind while being overshadowed by the MVP’s play.  James Harden’s once-in-a-lifetime season, and Capela’s emergence as a true All-Star in the NBA, combined with an uptick in defensive intensity and attention to detail, have kept the Rockets afloat in Chris Paul’s absence.  If Eric Gordon, who had 17 points on his birthday but struggled with his shot, can regain his form, the Rockets will start blowing teams out like last season.  However, Houston would have NOT won this game without Austin Rivers, who became a Rocket just the day before Tuesday’s holiday tilt.  Rivers was sensational in his debut. Look at the box score, and you might not be too impressed.  Watch the game-tape, and you’ll see the immediate defensive pressure and veteran presence he brings to a Rockets backcourt that desperately needed to add some depth.  Houston found the right piece to their backcourt puzzle.  Rivers didn’t play like a guy in his first game with a new team, especially considering the situations he was put in.  He had 10 points in his debut, including two clutch 3-pointers that helped the Rockets secure the victory in crunch time, but it was his defense that made the most difference.  He was assigned to guard Russell Westbrook and all that quickness just couldn’t run through Rivers.  The Rockets newest addition kept the former MVP at bay, holding him to only one point in the fourth quarter.  That’s right, one point.  Paul George had another excellent game for the Thunder with 28 points and 14 rebounds, but the Thunder needed Westbrook, their heart and soul in the fourth quarter, when the game mattered most.  Unfortunately for OKC, Westbrook drowned in Rivers’ smothering defense, and was nowhere to be found, providing little assistance to teammates George and Adams.  Since starting the season 0-4 at Toyota Center, Houston is 11-1 in their past 12 home games.  They’ve won 7 of 8 games overall with the lone loss coming in the game CP3 got injured in Miami, which also happened to be the second night of a back-to-back, and the Rockets’ 3^rd game in 4 nights (the Heat have been red-hot of late as well).  The Beard arrived at Toyota Center in a Grinch-themed lime-green suit, and stole any hopes the Thunder had of getting a Christmas gift in Houston.  Up next on the brutal winter schedule for the Rockets, an enemy in green comes to town on Thursday night.  The Boston Celtics, like Houston, got off to a slow start, but are rapidly coming back to life as the title threat in the East many expected before the season began.  Boston will prove to be just as big test, if not more than OKC was, for a CP3- less Rockets team in the midst of facing the league’s best point guards, as their own future HOF point guard tries to get healthy.  Boston boasts an arsenal of weapons on both ends of the floor, and will be the one of most versatile teams Houston faces all season.  Despite all the coverage Harden is getting (and deservedly so), Houston’s slowly getting better at playing as a team.  That’s what it means to “Run As One”, and they’ll need to apply their motto to its fullest extent and if they want to beat a very good Celtics team on Thursday night.

 

 

Rockets, Thunder, Clash in Christmas Day Bash

The Tale of Two Seasons.  A River Runs Red.  Here We Go.

“Do I look like a guy with a plan?” Heath Ledger’s iconic Joker asks, in the best comic-book movie of all time, The Dark Knight.  The Rockets looked like a team with a plan.  Coming off a franchise-record 65 wins, getting within a game of beating the unbeatable juggernaut known as the Golden State Warriors.  So far, this season, the Rockets look more like dogs chasing cars.  They’ve had injuries, new additions, and key losses this past offseason that have the plan for this season slightly off the beaten path.  Houston has had its fair share of problems, but with 50 games remaining on the schedule, they’ve got more than enough time to get back on the runway to success.  The Rockets have looked better as a team of late, despite losing Chris Paul to another hamstring injury, only two games ago.  ‘Tis the life of an NBA team, in a league where injuries to star players effect a team’s performance more than any other professional league.  Injuries happen.  It’s how you’re team responds as a unit that makes or breaks your franchise’s season.  Every NBA team faces a similar grueling schedule (depending on your conference) each season, consisting of a lengthy 82 games, comprised over 6 months.  The season is often viewed as a tale of two very different seasons.  Whether you look at the All-Star Break in February, or Christmas Day (annually the biggest regular season day on the NBA schedule), the league has moments where teams can reflect on their spot in the standings, and where they sit amongst pretenders, playoff-contenders, and title-contenders.  The NBA has, finally, given the Rockets the honor of hosting a game on the cheeriest day of the year.  It’s been a long time Rockets fans.  Ironically, the Rockets hosted the first ever national-televised Christmas Day game in league history.  However, that was back in 1967, when the franchise was still in its inaugural season in San Diego.  A lot of people say the NBA season doesn’t really start until Christmas.  Take a glance at the standings, and you’ll see we’re well into a third of the way of the regular season.  Christmas Day, besides being the most celebrated holiday, is the NBA’s coming out party, and grand opening.  Casual fans begin to cheer and turn their heads to the NBA, as the dominant, headline-stealing gauntlet known as the NFL and its season winds down.  It’s a time of the year when the NBA is the center of the sports-world, with a slate of games that consistently involves star-studded lineups and top-tier competition (the Knicks have bucked this trend for several seasons now, as Madison Square Garden has hosted more Christmas-Day matchups than any arena in the league’s history).  This season is no different, as Santa brings NBA fans another slate of entertaining games this Christmas.  Booked for the holiday matchups include: the Freak-led Bucks at the Garden, the hotly anticipated annual matchup between LeBron and the Warriors, a battle between Finals contenders Philly and Boston, and a Western matchup between the Blazers and Jazz.  Oh, and of course, smack dab in the middle of the proceedings, Westbrook (or George’s?) upstart Thunder face off against the unpredictable Rockets.  The matchup at Toyota Center may not be the most star-studded of the day, but there’s no lack of star-power in Tuesday’s holiday bash.  Russell Westbrook is quietly averaging a triple-double for the third year in a row, and early season MVP-candidate Paul George is playing out of his mind, having the best season of his career.  George, who played for Indiana before being traded to Oklahoma City, is hitting his stride in his second year with his new team.  Russell Westbrook and Paul George form one of the deadliest tandems the league has to offer.  That’s only part of the storm the Thunder will be bringing into Houston on Christmas.  OKC boasts one of the league’s best offensive rebounders and underrated big men in Steven Adams, to go along with one of the NBA’s most potent defenses this season.  The Thunder are currently exceeding preseason expectations, claiming the 3 seed at the moment, up near the top of the dominant Western Conference.  Houston, however, is a little behind what prognostics thought before the season began.  The Rockets are clinging to the 8^th seed in a jam-packed West that becomes more competitive with each game.  Houston got an early Christmas present as they try and climb a little higher in the relentless West.  Austin Rivers, the heated-rival and prior member of the Los Angeles Clippers, officially signed with the Rockets for the remainder of the season on Monday.  Rivers, despite being in street clothes, made his presence all-too-known in last season’s “Secret Tunnel” escapade.  One in which, Chris Paul and Austin Rivers, were some of the main advocates.  That beef has been squashed, according to sources close to the Duke graduate.  Rivers said Houston’s “a very fitting place” and the Rockets have been a team he’s “always admired and wanted to play for.”  Houston needs help in the backcourt regardless.  Chris Paul is still out at least another two weeks, and Brandon Knight is slowly trying to reach his ceiling coming off a lengthy injury.  And, Michael Carter-Williams has been, other than hitting the record-setting 3-point shot to break the record (in garbage time), Michael Carter-Williams.  Which, so far this season for the Rockets, simply hasn’t been good enough.  This is another huge game for Houston amidst their brutal stretch against the NBA’s elite.  The Rockets and Thunder each have 50 games remaining in their season.  If you would have asked someone, who would have had the higher seed on Christmas day this season, the vast majority would have said the Rockets, but Houston’s witnessed the rocky road to Christmas: Defensive whizz, Jeff Bzdelik, retires right before the season.  The Carmelo Anthony Experiment.  Injuries.  Bzdelik returns.  More injuries.  Rockets fans hope with the addition of Rivers, the team will move further towards their ultimate goal: winning the Championship for the third time in the franchise’s storied history.  Houston is coming off its first win without Chris Paul this season, a gutsy win in the clutch over San Antonio in their previous contest.  The Rockets have said Austin Rivers is expected to play in the Christmas Day showdown against the Thunder.  Houston hopes he can fill some much-needed depth in the backcourt with Chris Paul’s timetable for a return still uncertain.  CP3 is expected to miss at least another 2-3 weeks, and the Rockets will be cautious bringing him back.  Paul’s age and recent injury history only reveal the obvious: if Houston isn’t careful and can’t avoid the injury bug (something they’ve been stung by all season), Chris Paul is more likely than not to suffer another injury before the playoffs, when Houston will need him to 100% healthy.  32 games into his second season with Houston, Paul and the Rockets championship window is closing faster than Usain Bolt on the track.  But, it’s not closed yet.  The Rockets still have time to prove they’re worthy title contenders.  They’ve been through a lot this season, and now the entire sports world will turn its eyes to the NBA’s Christmas Day schedule.  Houston needs to embrace the spotlight, as teams league-wide will be gearing up for playoff positioning, or Zion-positioning, depending where your squad sits in the standings.  It’s not the All-Star break yet, but Christmas Day usually involves teams who end up in the playoffs later that season, including the eventual Champion.  It might not be make-or-break time for the Rockets yet, but it’s getting close.  This season’s no longer a joke.  Houston looks to gift their fans a present, wrapped in a win over the testy Thunder on Tuesday.  The Christmas Day matchup marks the first game between the two teams this season.  It’s lift-off time for the Rockets, and Christmas marks the NBA’s launching pad.  Hopefully, they have a plan ready for a Thunder team storming into Houston, playing tenacious basketball.  Look for Eric Gordon to have a big game on his birthday (Happy Birthday EG!!) and Austin  Rivers to make an immediate impact as a nuisance to Russell Westbrook.  The season starts now in many viewers’ eyes, the Rockets need to be ready.  They’ve had enough scars for two seasons combined.  It’s time for Houston to set their winning plan in motion.  It’s been time.  They need to play like contenders. Houston will be debuting their new “Earned” jerseys, made exclusively for teams that made the playoffs last season.  A win over the Thunder on Christmas Day is just what the squad needs to gain confidence without Chris Paul, and prove they’re more than capable of earning a playoff spot this season.  The Rockets need to take the court with that ready-set-go mindset, and take a cue from some of the Joker’s final words: “And. Here. We. Go!”

 

Toyota Center: Houston, Texas

 

Jersey Colors:

Oklahoma City Thunder (21-11): Navy Blue

Houston Rockets (17-15): “Earned” Crimson Red

 

TV: 2 PM CT – ABC

 

Rockets Fight off San Antonio’s Rally, Rebound to Finish off Spurs, 108-101

Glass Handlers. A Different Atmosphere. Home Sweet Home.

A stinger.  Or so it seemed.  Rudy Gay’s corner 3 late in the game in last night’s thriller gave San Antonio the edge.  A lead, one that Houston once held comfortably at 17 points, for their biggest lead of the game, had vanquished.  But the Rockets or the Beard didn’t panic.  In case, you hadn’t noticed, James Harden has been “Bearding”, for some time now.  And this time, he finally got some help.  The Rockets got a much needed bounce-back win over the Spurs, 108-101, in front of a the home crowd at Toyota Center on Saturday night.  After the Spurs took the edge 97-96, the Rockets ended the game on a 12-4 run to close out San Antonio, and got a win they really needed that improved them to 17-15 on the season.  Houston manhandled San Antonio on the glass, which led to 2^nd chance points for the Rockets.  Many of those 2^nd chance points were 3’s, as the Rockets were ironically outscored in the paint by 20, 52-32, despite having a dominant advantage on the glass.  Just goes to show how much better the Rockets are when that 3-point shot is falling.  When it is, they don’t need to score in the paint.  Lobs to Clint Capela are fun to watch, but 3 will always be more than 2, and the more the better.  Personally, I do wish they would drive it to the basket more, but when the 3 is falling, and they’re HEALTHY, the Rockets are pretty much unstoppable.  James Harden had another MVP-caliber performance, with 39 points and 10 dimes on the night.  Harden recorded his 6^th straight game of scoring 30 or more points, for the first time in his career.  A stat I consider mind-boggling, considering he’s averaging 32 for the season and 34.2 this month alone.  The Beard is shooting 45.8% from the field, including a staggering 40.5% from beyond the arc in the month of December.  Harden continues to do whatever it takes for his team to win games as the Rockets hope CP3 and (the never-talked about) James Ennis get healthy quickly, and return to action soon.  After the game, when asked how he gets Harden to play at that MVP-caliber level, night after night, Houston’s Coach Mike D’Antoni replied, “You’ll have to ask him. I have no idea as to what he’s doing.  He’s in a different atmosphere than I’ve ever seen.”  The Beard continues to be in a zone, and the Rockets need him to remain in this “different atmosphere” of elite play if they want to continue gutting out wins like the one last night.  Despite Chris Paul’s absence, other guys stepped up, and Houston finally won a game without their player/coach on the floor.  And they stepped up big time.  Despite being undercut early in the game on a play that should have been at least a flagrant foul, P.J. Tucker, the toughest player in the league, had a career high 16 rebounds and won the battle for the loose ball most of the night.  The big fella, Clint Capela, brought big time help.  Capela finished with 21 points, along with a career-high 23 boards, as he continues to prove he’s definitely worthy of being named an All-Star this season.  The Rockets scored a meager 13 points in the 2^nd quarter.  They regrouped, and scored 43 in the 3^rd quarter alone, after managing only 41 in the first half.  Gerald Green (aka The Green Light) was on fire and score 12 of his 15 points in the third.  Green went 4/4 from the promise land, and the unit as a whole was 9/13 from downtown in the 3^rd quarter.  The Rockets came out of halftime with a sense of urgency.  This set the tone for the rest of the night, and despite San Antonio rallying to come back from a deficit, Houston managed to hold off the Spurs’ comeback attempt late in the game to stage their own rally.  Yes.  The Rockets are good enough to win close games in crunch-time without Chris Paul.  They finally won their first game without their floor leader, as Houston improved to 1-5 when CP3 is not in the lineup.  Eric Gordon looked a little better.  He had 18 points on 7/20 from the floor, but only connected on 4/12 from deep.  The Rockets will need him to be better if they want to get through the toughest part of the regular season unscathed.  Houston managed to contain San Antonio.  DeMar DeRozan had 28 points, but other than that no one was a real threat to Houston’s improved defense.  They’ll have to keep up the intensity on defense and hope their shooting improves on offense, in order to barge through the most difficult stretch of the season, which is on the horizon.  This was a solid start for a Rockets team about to enter the NBA’s version of murderer’s row.  The good news: Houston’s won 10 of its last 11 games at home, and 3 of the next 4 are at Toyota Center.  MVP chants were as loud as they’ve been all season, and Toyota Center will need to give these Rockets all the support they can get in order to get through this upcoming brutal stretch.  Up next for the Rockets, the Oklahoma City Thunder come to Houston for a Christmas Day holiday bash.  The Thunder are currently tied with Denver for the best record in the unforgiving West.  Paul George is enjoying the best season of his career, and is currently on fire, coming off a 40 point-game, showing renewed confidence in his 2^nd season since departing from Indiana.  Oklahoma City also has the relentless juggernaut that is Russell Westbrook.  The Thunder as a whole are playing some of the best defense in the entire league, and will bring a challenging test to a Rockets team that needs its shots to be falling if they want to give fans a Christmas present this Holiday season.

Rockets Look for Assistance, Face off Against Spurs

 It’s not that bad.  Beard Talk.  Time to Run As One.

That one hurt.  Houston’s previous game could have been won, had they made one of their usual wide-open attempts from 3-point land. But Eric Gordon’s shot didn’t fall and the Rockets lost a heartbreaker, but they also lost part of their heart.  Their leader in the locker room, Chris Paul, suffered another hamstring injury in a career where they only seem to become more recurrent. These injuries, unfortunately for CP3, pop up always at the worst of times.  It seems.  Last year, after the Rockets were one win away from toppling their biggest goal.  And this season, just as Houston gets on a roll and garner’s a 5-game winning streak (even holding an 8-point lead).  CP3 goes down.  Again.  But all is not lost.  He’ll be back.  Only time will tell if he can find a way to avoid the infamous Rockets injury bug in a Championship window that seems to get a little smaller each day, for Chris Paul and the Rockets.  Everything’s going to be ok.  The Rockets leader in the locker room and coach on the floor is still with the team.  And Houston has that guy on the floor.  The one with the Beard, who slowly is playing with the more and more heart and intensity as each season and game passes.  James Harden’s not going to make every shot or get 30 every night, but his emergence as more a vocal leader for Houston was one of the most underrated aspects of the MVP’s entire season.  And hardly anyone talked about that, or is now.  But this season, the Beard is talking more than ever.  With CP3’s injury, he’s going have to let the fellas hear it a little bit more.  Words from a bearded-legend.  Beard Talk.  The MVP can only lead his teammates on the floor so much, he needs some help.  The GreenHouse Effect needs to be dialed up.  Look for Danuel House (the most underrated and unknown player in basketball, NBA or college) and Gerald Green to see extended minutes in Paul’s absence.  Unlike initially thought, Chris Paul is only expected to miss 2-4 weeks, although the Rockets will likely lean towards the end of that timetable.  Houston needs to be cautious with CP3, his injury has proved his chances of getting another one are more likely than not.  Hopefully it’s just not this season, again.  Or the Rockets will be in desperation mode.  Eric Gordon really needs to start connecting on shots like he missed to win the game prior to this contest.  He’ll see more playing time too.  Maybe more minutes will get EG’s shooting rhythm back, some essential to Houston’s success last season.  Tonight, the Rockets host a familiar foe in their in-state rival San Antonio Spurs. Houston’s 1-1 against San Antonio this season, with both games coming in the Alamo City.  This is a big game as both teams have 15 losses and a win would launch Houston past San Antonio in the ruthless West, for now.  The Spurs are playing their best ball of the year, having won 7 of their last 8 games.  The Rockets need to Run As One, like their team motto says.  The MVP can’t score 50 every night.  They need the crowd to get behind them, Houston’s won 9 of their last 10 games at home.  Let’s get loud Houston!  Because it’s not going to be easy.  They’re looking at the start of a brutal 9-game stretch against playoff-caliber and the NBA’s elite.  It’s time for the squad to listen to some Beard Talk, Run As One, and hope a visit from San Antonio will spur some added intensity, heart, and luck to a Rockets team that needs it now more than ever.

Toyota Center: Houston, Texas

 

Jersey Colors:

Houston Rockets (16-15): Black

San Antonio Spurs (18-15): White

 

TV: 7 PM CT – ATT Sportsnet SW

Rockets Can’t Catch a Break Amidst the Heat,  Lose CP3 to Injury, Comeback-Bid Falls Short in Miami,  101-99

The Injury Bug Returns.  Those White Jerseys.  Can’t Stop Him Now.

The Rockets just can’t catch a break.  Houston said goodbye to Trevor Ariza on Wednesday night with a fitting video tribute, in a game where the Rockets set an NBA record, and persuaded much of Red Nation that, maybe, his loss wasn’t as detrimental to the team’s success as many will still admit.  Last night in Miami, the Rockets lost a nail biting, heartbreaker of a game on a missed Eric Gordon 3-point attempt (which was wide open) that would have given Houston a one-point victory, and their 6^th in a row.   Instead they fell short in South Beach as the Heat out-hustled (particularly on the offensive glass) the Rockets on their way to handing the squad a gut-punching 101-99 loss.  The Rockets started right where they left off the previous night, red-hot from deep to give Houston a 12-point first quarter edge.  As the second quarter rolled around, Miami brought more heat on the offensive end of the floor, and cut the lead to 8.  But the Rockets were still in control of the game.  Carrying the tactics with them that got them into full gear on their 5-game winning streak.  Until they got bit.  Again.  By the injury bug.  Chris Paul suffered yet another hamstring injury, in a storied career who’s ceiling has always been road-blocked by injuries.  No word yet has been announced on the severity of the injury, or CP3’s status for the future, but it didn’t look good.  Paul went immediately to the bench after gripping his left hamstring.  He was out of the locker room before the game ended, and the Rockets can only hope his injury isn’t as bad as it looks.  When asked about the injury after the game, Coach Mike D’Antoni said, “it’ll be some time.”  In other words, Paul’s going to miss a minimum of at least a few weeks.  Which is not good news for the Rockets. They’re currently 0-5 this season in games Chris Paul doesn’t play, and his injury last year is the reason the Houston Rockets don’t sport the title as reigning champs of the NBA this year.  And it couldn’t have come at a worse time, as Houston’s next 5 games are a brutal stretch against some of the league’s toughest opponent, including the Celtics, Thunder, and Pelicans.  Maybe it’s just me.  But the Rockets seem to have suffered the most DNP’s courtesy of the injury bug more than any other Championship contender in the 21^st century.  Look back at the T-Mac and Yao era.  Tracy McGrady had his share of injuries.  Yao Ming’s 7’6 frame put him at a disadvantage. His towering height and lankiness are traits seen in big men who have histories of recurring injuries.  Yao was absent for the majority of Houston’s franchise record 22-game winning streak, and was frequently injured early in playoff series throughout his career.  Last year, Luc M’bah Moute was never the same after his shoulder injury.  And of course, Chris Paul suffered another setback that will likely keep him on the sidelines for a while.  Harden’s one of the most durable players on Earth, but the bug has bitten even James himself, as he missed a few games early this season due to injury.  James Ennis has been injured for the majority of the season.  Eric Gordon’s missed time, and been in and out of the starting lineup, both factors undoubtedly affecting his poor shooting, as he struggles to find a rhythm, as he’s yanked in and out of the lineup due to the constant injuries.  Gerald Green’s missed time due to multiple injuries.  Thank God for Danuel House, who seems capable to carry a similar level of durability as James Harden, and House has been a revelation for the Houston’s bench.  Speaking of the bench.  Next man up.  James Harden’s been up all season.  He’s never been higher than he is now, playing at the peak of his athletic prowess while putting the league on notice.  Now he has a chance to put the history of the game of notice.  CP3 will be out for, at the very least, a minimum of 3 weeks (also wishful thinking) .  The Beard has another great opportunity, to silence more of the haters.  The (seemingly) millions who actually focus on his “flopping”, when he’s actually just skilled at duping the officials, (a real skill, indeed, one Harden’s the best at). Harden’s got a chance to move his legacy from superstardom to legendary.  Stars are fun and popular to watch.  But stars who win titles (aka legends)?  They’re remembered forever in the NBA history books.  Not that the Beard hasn’t broken enough records this season, but if he can somehow keep the Rockets afloat while Paul recovers from his injury, he should, without a doubt, win his second consecutive MVP award (although the voting is biased, especially towards the year’s previous winner) and legitimately earn the title of greatest offensive player in NBA history.  The Beard’s been on a torrid onslaught, but the Rockets can’t depend on him to do this the entire season.  Eric Gordon, Gerald Green, and others need to step up and fill the void left by Paul.  So, what’s up with these white jerseys?  The Rockets are now 2-6 when they wear the white jerseys, and 0-6 in white since Carmelo Anthony left.  It’s just a coincidence, but the Rockets need all the help they can get right now.  They obviously play better in red or black.  But for now, Houston must rely on Harden to do what the Beard does best: score at will.  On any player.  Any time.  The way the Beard’s been playing, along with Paul’s recurrent injury, make this an opportunistic season for James Harden to prove he’s truly one of the greatest players of all-time.  If he can lead these beat-up Rockets to one of the higher seeds in the playoffs, it’ll swing voter bias and make it hard for them not to appreciate his value and what he does for the Rockets.  But some (a lot) of people love to hate James Harden.  Hate stems from jealousy.   Opposing players, teams, and fans are all jealous that the Beard is dominating the NBA, all the while making other teams look foolish trying to stop him.  The Rockets can’t afford him to stop now.  Chris Paul’s injury is only going to shoulder more of the load that Harden is already bearing.  The NBA’s reigning MVP and the best player in the world at the moment, will have to do even more than his current production rate for the squad to get back to form in a season that’s seemed (not fair) due to all the injuries, officiating, etc.  But life’s not fair.  At times, neither is the game of basketball.  But when you have what Harden has: innate, natural talent, with the ability to do things few other humans can, you do what you have to do.  Even if that means winning the MVP award in consecutive seasons.  Just do it.

Up next, on Saturday night the Rockets hope to blow the Spurs out of Toyota Center this time, after silencing the silver and black crowd the last time these two Texas foes met. Houston can’t afford to fall back to .500 on the season in the crowded West, especially without Chris Paul on the hardwood for the foreseeable future. It’s all hands on deck for the Rockets. Everyone has to and will have the opportunity to contribute more due to CP3’s injury. Houston’s second unit needs to take advantage of these opportunities to earn more playing time when (or, I should I say, if) the team is ever at full-strength. James Harden needs some help, and the Rockets need to prove their depth is real. That they’re more than just a bearded legend.