Rockets Rally, Topple Wizards in Wild 159-158 Win
Monumental Mirage. Clutchbrook. Ghosts in the Paint.
Unforgettable. The best way to describe Wednesday’s night double-duel in sports between Houston and Washington. In H-Town, the Astros came close, but fell to the Nationals in Game 7 of the World Series, giving Washington their first title in baseball. It was a strange series. The first in history that featured the road team winning every game. Back in D.C., the Rockets and Wizards played in one of the most bizarre basketball contests you will ever see. It resembled a hyper-stylized version of today’s NBA. A pickup game between pros… only on steroids. Comparable to watching two of your buddies play NBA2K. Except this was no video game. Players rarely missed. Defense was non-existent. And after erasing a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter, the Rockets survived to beat the Wizards, 159-158. In only 48 minutes. It set the record for the most points scored in an NBA game decided by 1 point. James Harden’s first 50-Burger of the season came at the perfect time. The Beard finally broke out of his shooting slump. Harden finished with an NBA-season high 59 points, on a stellar 18-of-32 shooting, including 6-of-14 from deep. Russell Westbrook recorded another triple-double, with 17 points, 10 boards, and 12 assists. Bradley Beal led the way for the Wizards, scoring 46 points on a crazy night. The game featured a relentless pace. 19 different times, a team scored within 10 seconds of the other. There was absolutely no defense to be found. James Harden can score 50 every night. Russell Westbrook can continue to get triple-doubles. It won’t matter. If Houston continues to have ghosts in the paint, their dreams of a title will become just that: a ghost. A haunting reminder of what could be… if only they could learn to play D. Washington shot the lights out, but the Wizards should never score 158 points. Especially this Wizards team. The Rockets were fortunate to get the win. Without Westbrook, they don’t.
After 4 games, it’s safe to say Russell Westbrook has exceeded expectations. I was hesitant to admit at first, but Brodie has been nothing short of fantastic. Especially in the clutch. He started off slow offensively on Wednesday, but Westbrook always finds ways to impact the game. Despite not scoring in the first half, Brodie was passively assertive, dishing out 11 dimes before the break. But… it’s his contributions in the clutch that have saved Houston this season. Against Washington, Westbrook had 14 points and 8 rebounds in the final quarter. Russ has been extremely effective at tipping out loose balls he can’t secure to other Rockets to save possessions. Westbrook is averaging 11.8 points and 5.3 rebounds in the 4th quarter. He’s shooting an incredible 62%, including 43% from long range in these quarters. Houston needs contributions from the rest of the squad late, if they ever want to win a game by more than 4 points.
Houston rallied from 12 down, including an 11-point deficit with a little over four minutes to play. Harden had a 50-Burger. Westbrook had a triple double. The Rockets got the W. So, little cause for concern, right? Wrong. Statistics can be a monumental mirage, and if Houston doesn’t fix its glaring weakness on defense… their season could become a mirage of false hope. The key number in this game was 158. Way too many points a championship contender should ever allow. If Houston wants to be considered among the league’s elite, they need to fix the massive holes on defense. In particular, the Rockets interior defense has been torrid, as opponents are able to get layups whenever they desire. It’s easier said than done. But it’s something that needs to be done. Or all these big scoring nights, triple-doubles, and fancy stats won’t mean anything. Even if Houston keeps winning by the skin of their teeth. In the playoffs, the game slows down, and defense becomes exponentially more important. If the Rockets don’t get serious on defense, those title aspirations… will be forgettable.