Month: February 2019

Rockets Hunting a Win Before Break, Face Wolves Up North

 

Road Warriors.    Tough KAT.    Intermission.

 

As we approach the All-Star break, the Rockets are one of many teams looking to rest up and get healthy for the stretch run.  First, Houston travels to Minneapolis to face the Wolves in their final game before the brief hiatus.  Minnesota has been struggling of late, even though their still within reach of a playoff spot.  The Wolves have lost 4 of their last 5 games overall.  The Rockets are seeking their 4^th consecutive road win, as the squad looks to head into the break on a positive note.  Houston bounced back nicely in their previous game, and the squad hopes to carry the momentum north to fight off the Wolves.  A victory would also give the Rockets 8 wins in their last 11 games, building steady momentum as the final stretch arrives on the schedule.

Despite their record, Minnesota still poses many problems for a Houston team still missing Clint Capela.  Karl-Anthony Towns is one of the best big men in the NBA, and his game is improving as the season moves along.  The departure of his disgruntled former teammate, Jimmy Butler, has led to an uptick in Towns’ performance and efficiency for the Wolves in the paint.  Andrew Wiggins has also improved slightly since Butler’s departure, and is the 2^nd option on offense for Minnesota behind Towns.  The Rockets will lean on Kenneth Faried’s presence in the paint, and hope James Harden can shoulder another prime outing before the team separates for the All-Star interval.  Houston will need contributions from the entire squad, KAT’s a tough man to handle in the paint, and the undersized Rockets have a challenge ahead of them.

Tonight’s game is pivotal in the standings.  A win could potentially move the Rockets up to the 4^th seed.  The Blazers host the red-hot Warriors tonight, and if Portland loses, they’ll fall back to the 5^th seed with a Houston victory.  As the squad gets ready for intermission, it’s important they not look too far ahead.  This game is another opportune step in the right direction if the Rockets take care of business.  In a season that’s been like a game of Russian roulette, you never know what to expect.  Houston should be able to grind out another road win before everyone disperses for the break.  Games before the All-Star break are even more comparable to pick ’ems.  It should be a tough, close battle tonight up North.  Hopefully, the Rockets can prove they’re worthy of victory, and can move up a notch in the standings.

 

 

Target Center:  Minneapolis, Minnesota

 

Jersey Colors:

Houston Rockets (33-23):  White

Minnesota Timberwolves (26-30):  Purple

 

TV:  7 PM CT – ESPN,  ATT Sportsnet SW

 

Houston’s Balanced Attack Blasts Mavs, Rockets Roll 120-104

 

30 For 30.    Five Heads Are Better Than One.    Step Up.  

 

            Nursing a sore shoulder from the previous game, James Harden still managed 31 points, as the Rockets beat the Mavs 120-104 on Monday night.  The Unguardable Tour continued, barely.  The Beard had 20 points with 2:30 to go in the game.  In a contest that wasn’t close, in a game where Harden’s shoulder was still aching, many expected “the Streak” to come to an end.  Harden did what he’s done all season, and proved everyone wrong.  The Beard scored 11 points in the last two and half minutes, and reached the 30-point mark for the 30^th consecutive game.  An astonishing feat.  Only the great Wilt Chamberlain has longer streaks of 30+ points, with 31 and 65 (the NBA record).  The All-Star break is coming at the perfect time for Harden and the Rockets.  The Beard has not been right since the OKC game, where he suffered a shoulder injury.  His availability for the All-Star game should be considered questionable, although Harden loves to play, it’ll be hard to keep him off the court.  At least Houston can rest assured that Harden’s shoulder will heal over the break (hopefully), and Clint Capela is due for a return the first game after the break.  Once the big fella returns, the Rockets will be at full strength for the first time all season.

17 points.  James Harden averages more than that per game this season.  Usually one, maybe two Rockets will reach the 17-point mark besides Harden.  Tonight, Houston had a season-high 5 guys score 17 or more.  The Beard got the most help he’s gotten during his “Unguardable Tour,” and it made a big difference.  Chris Paul is starting to round back into his All-Star form. He quietly had an efficient game with 17 points and 11 dimes.  The Manimal had another solid game, finishing with 17 points and 8 boards.  Gerald Green provided a spark off the bench with 19, and Eric Gordon had 18 to round out Houston’s main scoring arsenal.  Iman Shumpert played 24 minutes in his home debut, scoring 6 points.  Shump continues to feel his way into the new system, and when comfortable, will be a nice fit.  The Rockets finally were able to build a lead and hold it, keeping the Mavs at bay until the final buzzer sounded.  As amazing as Harden has been this year, having 4 guys contribute besides the Beard helps Houston more than anything.  If the Rockets can get more team efforts from the roster, they’ll be unbeatable.  But nights like these have proven to be few and far between.  Still, it was a step in the right direction as the All-Star break is around the corner.

Only one game remains on the schedule before the break, as Houston will travel up north to face the Minnesota Timberwolves.  Monday night’s victory over Dallas was a step up for Houston.  The squad is still playing without their 2^nd most valuable player, Clint Capela.  And, Harden had a sore shoulder and wasn’t himself, not able to garner his usual lift on his shots.  Despite these factors, the Rockets won comfortably over the Mavs and held a lead throughout the game.  This has been an issue for Houston much of the season, especially against the NBA’s lower echelon.  The Rockets mended that issue, or at least didn’t falter like they have so many times this season, losing games they should have won.  This was a game they should have won.  And Houston did just that, leading the duration of the game after early in the first quarter.  The Rockets will try and close out the schedule strong in Minnesota before the squad breaks for the All-Star intermission.  Hopefully, that shoulder’s feeling better for Harden.  The Rockets proved Monday night they’re able to provide enough help for the MVP before the break hits to muster out one more victory.

 

 

Rockets, Mavs Clash in Matchup of Interstate Rivals

 

Bouncing Back.    The Beard vs. The Don.    Make it Tough.

 

The Rockets made life tough for themselves again, last game.  Houston had a 26-point lead, but let it vanquish in their previous contest, to the Thunder.  The hated Dallas Mavericks come to town tonight as the Rockets look to bounce back from their dreadful collapse on Saturday night.  Dallas has quietly crept back into the playoff discussion.  The Mavs sit only 3 games out, and have been playing better ball as the year progresses.  Houston’s had too many bad losses this season.  Despite this, on most occasions, they’ve bounced back with a victory.  The Rockets should have no problems with a young Mavs squad.  That’s if they come out ready to play.  If Houston toys with the Mavs, like they’re played around with many recent opponents, they could be in for another bad loss.  Expect the Rockets to be on their toes tonight.  Houston is seeking revenge from the previous matchup between the interstate rivals (a bad loss).  Luka Doncic led a late comeback to beat the Rockets in Dallas.  Houston should be angry from this previous loss to the Mavs, as well as their collapse on Saturday to the Thunder.

James Harden looks to continue his “Unguarable Tour” as he aims to extend his 30-point game streak to 30 games in a row.  The Beard has been unstoppable, but since Chris Paul’s return, has become less of a distributor.  At times, this has played against the Rockets and their rhythm.  Harden’s assists were likely to go down with CP3’s return, but the Beard should still have at least 5 a game.  He’s had around only 2 dimes a contest since CP3’s return.  Harden needs to focus on making his teammates better while he maintains his scoring streak.

The MVP faces off against the probable Rookie of the Year tonight in Luka Doncic.  “The Don” pulled off a Mavs comeback-win over the Rockets in their previous matchup, basically by himself, putting on one of his most impressive clutch-stretches of the season.  Doncic is a runaway favorite for ROTY and Houston needs to keep the young gunner in check in order to bounce back with a win.  Look for the Beard to be out for revenge tonight in Houston.  Harden should continue his 30-point streak with ease.  Houston will try and shut down the Mavs early, and see if they can hold a lead for once.  It should be a nice test for a Rockets team that seems to struggle to blow opponents out.

The All-Star Break approaches.  This is the last home game for Houston before the break, and the Rockets would love to close out this part of the season with back-to-back wins (they play in Minnesota on Wednesday).  Houston needs to play as a team, and when they get a lead, the squad needs to focus on extending their advantage.  This has been the Rockets biggest issue this year.  It would be nice to see Houston win a game over a bad team easily.  Unfortunately, it hasn’t happened much at all this season.  The Rockets have an opportunity to start a new trend in their final home game before All-Star break.  It’s time the Rockets make life tough on their opponent.

 

Toyota Center:  Houston, Texas

 

Jersey Colors:

Dallas Mavericks (26-29):  Blue

Houston Rockets (32-23):  “City Edition” Maroon

 

TV:  7 PM CT – NBA TV,  ATT Sportsnet SW

Rockets Blow Lead as Thunder Comeback to Leave Houston Stunned, 117-112

 

A Tale of Two Halves.    Thunderstruck.    Red Headed Stranger.

 

In a season that’s clearly been a tale of two teams, Saturday night’s disastrous collapse for Houston was a tale of two halves.  The Rockets led by as many as 26 at one point, yet the Thunder stormed back to shock Houston, 117-112.  The Rockets were was in control of this game throughout the first half.  Houston built their lead in a dominant 2^nd quarter, outscoring the Thunder 42-23, but they gave the lead back to OKC in the 3^rd quarter.  Oklahoma City’s 3^rd quarter surge, they outscored Houston 42-20, brought them back in the game, allowing them to close out the Rockets in the final quarter.  James Harden finished with 42 points to extend his 30-point streak, but it wasn’t’ enough.  Kenneth Faried had another double-double, posting 17 points and 12 boards.  Chris Paul dissected the OKC defense for much of the night, and was just shy of a triple double.  CP3 finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 dimes as he looks better with each game.  Iman Shumpert looked to be finding his footing with the squad in his debut.  More playing time is required to see if Shump will be a nice fit like many expect.  The newest Rocket finished with 3 points and 4 rebounds in his debut.

Houston toyed around with another team on Saturday night.  Except this squad was an elite opponent, and no matter how sizeable the advantage, no lead is safe for the Rockets.  The Thunder boast two of the league’s premier players in Russell Westbrook and Paul George.  The two led the charge as OKC left the Rockets thunderstruck on Saturday night.  George had 45 points and 11 rebounds to go along with some of the best defense James Harden has seen in some time.  Westbrook finished with 21 points, 12 boards, and 11 dimes for his NBA-record tying 9^th consecutive triple-double.  An NBA team is never out of a game, especially a team like OKC with two superstars who can get hot and carry a team.  Houston paid for taking their foot off the gas, and the Thunder struck back.  The Rockets need to address their habit of blowing leads and if they can’t fix this issue, they might find themselves out of the playoffs sooner than expected.

As the season moves on, this Rockets team is becoming more and more difficult to predict.  They’re like a red headed stranger.  You just don’t know what they’ll do next.  Just when you think they’re going to win, they lose, and vice versa.  Houston needs to start finding a defensive identity if they want to be considered contenders.  The Rockets have a lot of bad habits associated with young teams.  Houston is one of the older teams in the NBA.  The squad needs to start putting the pieces together to get ready for a post-all-star break push.  Up next for the Rockets, interstate rivals come to town as the Mavs get ready to show off their rookie phenom, Doncic, in front of the H-Town fans.  Last time, the rookie led a comeback to put Houston away in another game featuring a Rocket-collapse.  Hopefully, the Rockets learned from their mistakes on Saturday night.  And, maybe it’s the wake-up call the Rockets needed to stop playing around.  Only time will tell.

Rockets Aim to Quiet Thunder in Shumpert’s Debut

 

A Storm’s Coming.    Rocket Moves.    The Shump Factor.  

 

A storm is coming to Houston.  On Saturday night, the Rockets host the Thunder in a battle of potential playoff opponents.  The Thunder have won 9 of 10 games, and currently sit in the 3^rd spot, 3 games ahead of Houston in the standings.  All-Star Starter Paul George is having the best season of his career, leading the Thunder in scoring.  In their last game, Russell Westbrook had his 8^th consecutive triple-double, one shy of the NBA record.  Westbrook and George are arguably the most deadly one-two punch in the league, and the Rockets will have their hands full trying to contain them.  The Thunder’s Steven Adams will pose problems to a Capela-less Rockets team in the paint.  Nene and the Manimal need to play big in the post for the Rockets to a get a win.  Houston looks to keep streaking and make it 4 in a row, after closing their road trip with 3 impressive victories.  Tonight’s game is a pivotal one as the All-Star break approaches.  A win puts the Rockets within 2 games of the Thunder, with a loss pushing them back to 4 games behind in the standings.  Saturday’s contest will be a test of fortitude for the Rockets, and should provide a telling first look at their newest addition.

Houston made a few moves at the trade deadline, and Morey recently stated they’re expected to make more acquisitions once several players become available on the buyout market.  The Rockets traded James Ennis to the Sixers for a future 2^nd round pick.  Ennis was starting see an uptick in minutes and improvement in play, but Houston obviously thought he wasn’t necessary in their equation for success.  Ennis was solid in his short time with the Rockets, but had the look of a player who might fold under pressure in the playoffs.  Houston offloaded Brandon Knight and Marquesse Chriss to Cleveland in a 3-team deal that brings versatile vet Iman Shumpert from Sac-Town to H-Town.  Knight and Chriss never played many minutes, and the former Kings swingman is an upgrade over James Ennis at the small forward position.  The Menace will be missed, but Morey brought in a different sort of menace in Shump, one whose presence will be felt immediately.

First, it was Austin Rivers, not long after Chris Paul went down.  Then, it was Kenneth Faried, shortly after Clint Capela’s injury.  And now, at the trade deadline time, it’s Iman Shumpert.  Shump played with the Kings this season, and helped be a leadership presence for Sacramento’s younger core.  Previously, Shumpert was on the Cavaliers team that made the Finals the previous 3 seasons, and he was a key piece of the rotation when the Cavs won the title in 2016.  This season, Shumpert was instrumental in helping the Kings become one of the most improved teams in the NBA.  His absence was sorely missed in Sacramento during their blowout loss to the Rockets in the teams’ previous game.  Shumpert’s defense and experience will be the most important attributes he brings to this Houston squad.  The versatile wing can guard positions 1-4, and is quick enough to switch on defense.  Shump’s experienced, playing in 4 NBA Finals, and has always been best when playing with a superstar.  He played with Carmelo in his happier-Knick days, LeBron in Cleveland, and now Harden in Houston.

The newest Rocket’s transition into D’Antoni’s system should to be seamless.  Look for Shumpert to have an immediate impact on the floor for Houston, comparable to how Rivers and the Manimal contributed right away once they became Rockets.  Once Clint Capela returns, if Houston can stay healthy, they have a deeper roster than last season.  It’s a big “if”, but Shumpert’s addition to the lineup is another impressive find by Daryl Morey.  Houston’s GM has been stellar all season long in finding unwanted players from other teams.  Guys that not only keep the Rockets afloat, but improve the team.  Iman Shumpert brings the same level of grit and intensity that Rivers and Faried added to the squad when they arrived.  Before last season, Morey said he was caught between signing P.J. Tucker or Iman Shumpert.  Now the Rockets have both. And with some luck in the health department, a storm is coming for the rest of the NBA.

Toyota Center:  Houston, Texas

 

Jersey Colors:

 

Oklahoma City Thunder (35-19):  Blue

Houston Rockets (32-22):  “City Edition” Maroon

 

TV:  7:30 PM CT – ABC

Fit For a Beard:  Rockets Overpower Kings, 127-101

 

Dominant Exhibition.    Gearing Up.    Streaking.

 

Well, so much for a tussle in Sacramento.  The NBA’s MVP wasted no time getting off to a hot start on Wednesday night.  Harden fueled the Rockets to a dominant 127-101 victory over the Kings in Sacramento.  The Beard finished with 36 points, extending his 30-point streak to 28 games.  Harden had plenty of help as Houston brought forth its best team-effort of the road-trip.  The Rockets had 6 players score in double-figures, and brought the intensity on defense to intimidate a young Kings squad.  De’Aaron Fox managed only 6 points against Houston’s defense.

The Rockets broke the game open in the 2nd quarter, outscoring the Kings by 27 points in the period.  Gerald Green had 25 off the bench, and Chris Paul had 15 points and 11 assists to guide the offense.  Eric Gordon chipped in with 20 points.  When Splash Gordon is effective on both ends of the floor, Houston’s almost impossible to beat.  Kenneth Faried had another double-double, and the Rockets showed Kings fans what a contender looks like in person.

Houston’s starting to click on all cylinders, despite some issues defensively that still need to be addressed.  Faried has now cemented his role as part of the Rockets frontcourt.  Once Clint Capela returns after the All-Star break, Houston will be the healthiest they’ve been all season.  Throw in the addition of Rivers and Faried to a healthy roster, and the Rockets have arguably the deepest team in the league.  They also picked up Iman Shumpert via trade, and Nik Stauskas.  Shumpert, a gritty wing who defends with ferocity, can knock down the open three.  A perfect fit in D’Antoni’s system.  Stauskas, aka “Sauce Castillo”, is primarily a 3-point shooter and could potentially play well in Houston.  The trade deadline is Thursday afternoon.  Daryl Morey always has a trick up his sleeve.  Don’t be surprised if more moves are made before the deadline strikes.

The Rockets, believe it or not, currently have the longest winning streak in the Western Conference.  Only 3 games, but they’re 3 blowout road wins and impressive victories.  Houston needs to carry this momentum they gathered at the end of the road trip back home.   A storm is coming to Houston on Saturday night.  Russell Westbrook and the Thunder come to town.  OKC has won 8 of 10 games.  The Rockets will need to get off to a hot start back home if they want to keep streaking in the right direction.  Saturday night’s contest will be a challenging test… a Russell-infused tussle.

Rockets Battle Kings as Road Trip Ends

 

The Young and the Restless.    Contenders vs. Pretenders.    Best Show on Court.

 

James Harden takes his Rockets into Sacramento on Wednesday night for a tussle on the Kings’ court.  Houston looks to close out their 4-game road trip strong with a victory in Sac-Town.  The Kings are one of the most improved teams in the NBA this season.  Sacramento boasts an array of young, talented players, who are starting to come into their own at the professional level.  De’Aaron Fox might be the fastest player in the entire NBA.  The Kings’ point guard is having a breakout sophomore year, and is hard to contain in transition.  Sacramento also boasts Marvin Bagley III, who is coming off a solid double-double in their previous game.  Buddy Hield is in a groove this season, and Willie Cauley-Stein is starting to be a force in the paint for the Kings.  Bogdan Bogdanovic is one of the best 6^th men in the league, and a sharpshooter.  Houston needs to keep their eyes on Bogie and Buddy on the perimeter.  Despite all the Kings’ potential, they should be no match for the Rockets, who are seeking their third straight win on the road.

Tonight’s matchup pits one of the NBA’s rising teams, the Kings, against one of the NBA’s elite, the Rockets.  Houston’s still dealing with injury problems, but they’ve managed to stay afloat in the brutal West, despite all the bumps and bruises.  When healthy, the Rockets are the most lethal contenders to Golden State’s throne.  Sacramento has a promising young core, led by Fox, but they’re seasons away from being Kings of the NBA.  Sacramento are pretenders at the moment, on the outside looking in at the playoffs.  The postseason will eventually be in the Kings’ future, just not yet.  Houston aims to show Sacramento what NBA royalty looks like, despite missing Capela.  The Rockets need to bring the same level of focus they played with in Utah to get a victory over a hungry Kings team.

Only 4 games remain until the All-Star break.  While, the Rockets aren’t at full strength yet, closing the last 4 games with wins would be a huge boost for the squad’s confidence.  It starts tonight, but the Rockets need to be ready.  If Houston comes out sleepwalking, they could be in trouble early in Sacramento.  The Kings have won 3 in a row and 4 of their last 5, including snapping San Antonio’s 5-game winning streak on Monday.  Sacramento is only one game out of playoff spot.  But it’s not their time.  Not yet.  The Rockets will try to push the Kings back in their seat in the 9^th spot in the standings.  Look for Kenneth Faried to have another big game in the paint and on the glass for Houston.  The Manimal’s been on fire.  Oh, and The Unguardable Tour is still playing in arenas nationwide.   And the Best Show on Court isn’t coming to an end anytime soon.

 

Golden 1 Center:  Sacramento, California

        

Jersey Colors:

Houston Rockets (31-22):  White

Sacramento Kings (28-25):  Purple

 

TV:  9 PM CT – ATT Sportsnet SW

 

 

 

Harden’s 44 Lift Rockets Over Suns, 118-110

 

20 for 40.    Manimal Manhandler.    Moving Up.

 

Everybody won on Monday in the Valley of the Sun.  James Harden got to play in front of his Arizona State fans, and the MVP led the Rockets to a 118-110 victory over the Suns in Phoenix.  The 30-Point Streak wasn’t coming to an end in the desert.  The Beard honed his college skills at nearby ASU, and still has a plethora of fans in the Phoenix area.  Harden had 44 points, including 14 in the 4^th quarter to help stave off a Suns comeback-attempt.  It was his 20^th game this season with 40 points, and Harden’s 27^th straight with 30 or more.  The Rockets won for the 10th straight time in Phoenix, and have beaten the Suns in the teams’ last 9 matchups.

The Unguardable Tour continued, and Phoenix had no answer for the Beard’s mastery.  Chris Paul assisted Harden when the game got dicey in the final quarter.  Houston’s star backcourt scored all but 2 points in the 4^th quarter, combining for 22 of the 24 in the final period.  CP3 looks like he’s slowly coming back to form.  He had 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 dimes.  The Point God allowed Harden to get a breather here and there so he could exert with more effort and efficiency late in the game.  Together, with the help of the Manimal, they helped keep the Suns at bay.

Kenneth Faried had himself another solid game.  The Manimal continues to impress.  Faried manhandled Phoenix’s frontline on the glass, en route to 17 points and 14 boards.  It was his 5^th double-double in 6 games.  The newest Rocket continues to impress beyond anyones expectations.  His energy level was expected.   But Faried’s seamless ability to learn D’Antoni’s system and gel with the chemistry of the squad is a unique skillset all in its own. Houston is lucky to have the Manimal, and he’s been a lifesaver in Clint Capela’s absence.

Only 4 games remain until the All-Star break.  Capela is expected to return after the break.  Hopefully, the Rockets only have 4 more games without their big fella out of the lineup.  Eric Gordon also missed tonight’s game.  Houston hopes to have him back Wednesday.  With the Spurs loss to the Kings, the Rockets move up back to the 5^th spot in the standings out West.  With 29 games to go, Houston has the opportunity to get home court advantage in the conference, and one of the top seeds.

The Rockets got some help from the Suns tonight.  Phoenix is obviously in tank-mode and tryin’ for Zion.  Devin Booker and DeAndre Ayton, their 2 best players, were nowhere to be found late in the game when it mattered.  Their rookie coach, Igor Kokosvok, wasn’t subtle about tanking, and the Rockets caught a slight break.  That won’t be the case for Houston in their next game.  The aforementioned Kings just snapped the Spurs 5-game winning streak, and helped the Rockets move up a notch.  Houston won’t be getting any help from Sacramento on Wednesday.  The Rockets are going to have to beat a young, talented Kings team that is inches out of a playoff spot.  Sacramento isn’t tryin’ for Zion, and on Wednesday, only one team is winning.

Rockets Clash With Young, Deserted Suns

 

All By Themselves.   Overlook Watch.   Valley of the Young and Done.  

 

Stop number 3 on Houston’s 4-game road-trip is in Phoenix as the Rockets take on the Suns on Monday night.  Phoenix is separated from the rest of the pack in the West.  The Suns are clearly the worst team in the crowded conference, and Houston should have no problem taking care of business in the valley of the sun.  Phoenix has lost ten straight games, and they’re eyeing the tank-portion of the season as they set their sights on the potential of landing Zion Williamson in the NBA Draft, this June.  The Suns are very young, with a rookie head coach.  Phoenix can pose problems if Houston reverts back to annoying trends comparable to playing down to their competition, as seen earlier this season.  The Rockets have won 8 straight against the Suns, including 9 in a row in Phoenix.  They’ll look to extend those streaks Monday night, with a carryover performance from Saturday’s exceptional win in Utah.

The Rockets can’t afford to overlook any more bad teams on the schedule.  Phoenix are one of those bad teams, and Houston needs to take care of business early so they can get some rest in their 3^rd game in 4 nights.  Harden and the Rockets have toyed with inferior competition all season long.  Their lack of focus and inability to “get up” for the worst teams in the NBA has come back to bite Houston several times.  The Rockets have lost at least 5 games they should have won this season.  Winning those games would have Houston in the 3^rd spot instead of the 6^th in the Western Conference.  Look for the Beard’s “Unguardable” Tour to continue in Phoenix as the Rockets should put the Suns away early.  Houston is 8-7 in their last 15 games, with many of those losses coming to inferior opponents.  Harden and the Rockets look to put an end to that trend with a win Monday.

Despite having the 2^nd worst record in the league, the Suns have a young, talented core at the center of their roster.  Devin Booker, only 22, is one of the brightest young stars in the NBA, and will soon be an All-Star.  DeAndre Ayton, only 20, was the 1^st overall pick in last year’s NBA Draft, and the big man is having a stellar rookie campaign.  If Luka Doncic wasn’t having a magical season in Dallas, Ayton would be this season’s Rookie of the Year.  The Suns season is finished.  Not technically, but Phoenix has already clinched a losing season, and won’t be making the playoffs.  It doesn’t mean they won’t present challenges for the Rockets.  Ayton will pose problems in the post, and the Rockets don’t have anyone big enough to guard him besides the limited minutes Nene will see.  The Manimal, Kenneth Faried, is poised to have another effective game for the Rockets as they look to win their 2^nd straight as they try and finish this portion of the season strong heading into the All-Star break.

Talking Stick Resort Arena:  Phoenix, Arizona

 

Jersey Colors:

Houston Rockets (30-22):  “City Edition” Maroon

Phoenix Suns (11-43):  White

 

TV:  8 PM CT – ATT Sportsnet SW

 

 

Rockets Stifle Gobert, Silence Jazz 125-98

 

Hardefense.    Greenlit.    Resilient Rockets.

 

The most unpredictable season in recent memory continued on Saturday night as the Rockets rolled into Utah and blasted the Jazz, 125-98, in Salt Lake City.  Both teams were on the second night of a back-to-back, but Utah had the advantages.  The Jazz played at home the previous night, and had a much healthier roster than the depleted Rockets.  Houston stepped up and played with more energy and a sense of urgency in order to build a lead relatively quickly.  Their team defense was stellar all night, on switches, communication, and attacking Utah’s offense.  And the Unguardable Tour continued.  James Harden had his 19^th 40-point game of the season, and arguably his most impressive stat-line of the campaign.  The Beard finished with 43 points, 12 rebounds, 5 dimes, 6 steals, and 4 blocks.  Harden came a swat away from setting the record for most points scored with a 5×5 stat line.  James was all over the place on defense, and had a few great plays stifling Gobert in the post.  It’s about time people shut up about Harden not playing defense.  James had another stellar defensive outing to go along with his offensive prowess.  It’s hard to get 4 blocks, even harder to get 6 steals. Harden did both in the same game.  The Beard’s been playing exceptional on both ends of the court all year, but only gets the credit on defense when the stat line produces evidence, per usual.  All that matter for the Rockets is that their star continues to play at this level, and when healthy, this team will start to get closer to their potential.  As a team, the squad needs to keep playing hard defense, it can’t just be an occasional trend for the Rockets.

Houston kept control of the game because the bench showed up, finally.  The Rockets bench had 45 points, including a season-high 25 from Gerald Green.  The Houstonian had the green light to let it fly from deep, and it worked for the Rockets.  Green went 7 of 12 from beyond the arc, and his energy was infectious, as Houston allowed really clamped down on defense.  Just the night before, in Denver, the Rockets gave up a whopping 83 first half points.  More than some teams score in an entire game.  Houston brought more effort on the defensive end, and it showed in Salt Lake City.  Kenneth Faried also outplayed Rudy Gobert.  The Manimal posted 16 points and 12 boards, while holding the Stifle Tower to only 10 points.  Rivers had 16 off the bench, and Ennis started the game for Houston and contributed aggressive energy for the squad.

Salt Lake City on Saturday demonstrated the resiliency of this Rockets team.  When their backs have been against the wall, Houston has pulled through every time this season.  See their games on 1/3 against the Warriors, 1/25 against Toronto, and now Saturday night in Utah as proof of this squad’s resiliency.  Chris Paul didn’t play in any of those games, the Rockets 3 most impressive victories this season.  Clint Capela didn’t play in 2 of them.  If Houston can stay healthy, they’re potential to do damage in the postseason is the highest it’s been in the Harden-era.  And the Beard’s “Unguardable Tour” doesn’t look to be coming to an end any time soon.  Despite all the bad losses, with some luck in the health department, the Rockets have an honest chance to be even better than last year’s team come playoff time.  Next on the schedule, Houston travels to Phoenix to take on the Suns, the worst team in the West.  The Rockets should pounce on the Suns early, like they did to the Jazz, and cruise to an easy victory over inferior competition.  This game should be more predictable… but as this season’s come to prove, anything could happen.