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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.

Rockets Ride Hot Streak into Miami, Looking For a Baker’s Dozen

Bake Half a Dozen.  MVP, GreenHouse Effect, Brings Heat to Miami.

The Houston Rockets stroll into South Beach, riding their longest winning streak of the season.  The critics are questioning if this streak is just another upswing in a rollercoaster season full of ups and downs.  Or are the Rockets back to being the Rockets.  Houston shoots for its longest winning streak of the year tonight in Miami as they take on a Heat squad coming off to of they’re most impressive wins of the year.  The Heat are riding their own mini-streak as they’ve impressively gutted out consecutive road wins over two of the fourteen teams (Pelicans and Grizzlies) fighting for playoff position in the West.  Unfortunately for Miami, they recently lost their starting point guard, the vastly underrated former Rocket, Goran Dragic, to an injury recently as he will be out for tonight’s contest.  This should give Chris Paul an even further advantage, as he strives to get his form back, and remain out of his prior slump.  James Harden has been on a tear offensively.  Don’t just look at the numbers.  The Beard’s playing with a fiery intensity he’s yet to reveal in his career, playing the best basketball of his life, as he continues his quest to put every opposing team’s big man on a poster.  The rest of the squad finally came to life last night, setting an NBA-record with 26 3 pointers made on 55 attempts from beyond the arc.  The Rockets hope to carry the hot hands with them as they take on a Heat team that’s ceiling is, at best, a late seed in the Eastern Conference.  And that’s if they’re lucky.  This is another game in which the Rockets should win.  They’re clearly the better team, they’ve got the reigning MVP playing the best basketball of his life, and they seem to have finally regained some of last season’s swagger.  However, looks can be deceiving.  And the Rockets haven’t looked so great in their white uniforms, which they’ll be sporting tonight against the Heat.  Houston is 2-5 this season when they wear white, but 0-5 since Carmelo Anthony left the team.  I’m hoping that it’s just a coincidental stat, as the Rockets don’t wear white often, and haven’t at all during their current win streak.  If the Rockets really want to prove to the league that they’re not only back, but even better than last year, they’ll need to continue winning games like tonight’s in Miami.  Houston is coming off a record-breaking win last night and is playing its 3^rd game in 4 nights.  The Rockets will have to truly gut this one out, fight those tired legs, and “Run as One” if they want to take their winning streak to 6 games in South Beach.

American Airlines Arena: Miami, Florida

Jersey Colors:

Houston Rockets (16-14): White

Miami Heat (13-16): Black (Vice City Edition)

TV: 7 PM CT – TNT, ATT Sportsnet SW

Rockets Set Dazzling 3-Point Record, Zoom By Wizards 136-118

The Record.  Five in a Row.  Are They Really Back?

“Three! Three! Three!” the crowd chanted, over and over again, during the final minutes of Houston’s 3-point barrage. The Rockets rode an assault of treys from the perimeter on their way to a 136-118 victory, their 5^th in a row on the season, over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night at Toyota Center. The Rockets finally secured a record they knew they should’ve been theirs long ago, as they went 26/55 from deep to set the record for the most 3-point field goals made in an NBA game. It’s amazing what great ball-movement does for a team’s shooting percentage outside the arc. And this time, the Beard’s friends joined the party. For the first time since November 23^rd, The Rockets’ Big 3 (James Harden, Chris Paul, & Clint Capela) all scored more than 20 points in the same game. They had help too as the Rockets splashed their way to a record-shooting night from beyond the arc. The Rockets had 6 guys put in double-digit scoring numbers on the board (Danuel House was a point away from being included on that list, finishing with 9 points). Anytime Houston has 4 players with a plus/minus of 14 or more, not named James Harden or Chris Paul, usually results in a win for the Rockets, as it did on Wednesday. Harden got the team off to a hot start, hitting his first 3 from deep, to get the team’s record-setting pace on its way. The Beard finished with 35 points, going 6 of 11 from the promise land, to go along with 9 assists and 3 boards. Chris Paul shook out of his shooting slump, garnering 21 points to go along with 8 dimes. Clint Capela was back in All-Star form, scoring 20 while grabbing 12 rebounds. Eric Gordon showed improvement, that he might be slowly getting out of his slump, getting 16 points for the squad. P.J. Tucker was solid as always. His value often doesn’t show up in the box score but last night, Tucker was part of the 3-point party, scoring 11 while out-hustling the Wizards on his way to 11 rebounds on the night. The “GreenHouseEffect” is still a major, underlying factor throughout the Rockets’ current 5-game winning-streak. Danuel House and Gerald Green combined for a plus/minus of 30 and their presence was felt on both ends of the floor. Their 3-point shooting, combined with their defensive pressure and intensity, has been one of the main reasons why Houston’s in the midst of a 5-game winning streak. It was nice to see Trevor Ariza again. The Rockets paid him a fitting tribute video during the first timeout of the game, giving Rockets fans a reminder of what made last season so special. However, the team Ariza’s currently on, are no where near the Rockets. He’ll have to get used to that just as Houston’s adapting to his absence. Bradley Beal was the biggest threat for the Wizards, scoring 28 points. John Wall struggled early but came on late to score 18 for the Wiz but it wasn’t enough. The Rockets proved they were the better team. They beat a team they were supposed to beat. Something Houston did almost all of last year on their way to a franchise-record 65 wins. The Rockets have been struggling with that this year. They’ve shown they can compete with the best, but they’ve tended to fall asleep on some of the league’s poorer competition. That trend didn’t happen tonight, and it looks like the Rockets are back to winning the games they should. Although looks can be deceiving, only time will tell. Up next for the Houston, the Rockets make a quick trip east for a battle with the Miami Heat in another game they should win. Let’s hope the Rockets bring the same heat they had tonight, with them into Miami.

Rockets Aim for 5 Straight as a Familiar Face, Wizards Come to Town

Chemistry.  Togetherness.  Teamwork.  Talent.  Talent is the most important element of basketball.  If you don’t have talent, you’re not in the league.  Look at me.  I have talent, but not that kind of talent.  That kind of talent is at the core of winning.  Just look at James Harden.  The Rockets are riding a 4-game winning streak, almost exclusively courtesy of the Beard.  Harden’s playing the best basketball of his life, as he carries a Houston team that otherwise wouldn’t have a chance at 5 in a row tonight.  Chris Paul and Eric Gordon haven’t been themselves, struggling shooting the ball and are in a slump.  They’ll be back to being the CP3 and EG we’re used to seeing at Toyota Center.  Splashing 3’s from deep, while being integral parts of victories.  The Rockets are fine.  They have James Harden, and he’s been better than ever. That’s where that kind of talent comes into play.  But without chemistry, togetherness, and teamwork, good luck winning a lot of games in NBA competition.  A championship?  Without chemistry, teamwork, and togetherness you can forget about that.  You’ve got no shot.  Just look at the history of Championship teams and great teams in general.  Name one that didn’t have chemistry, teamwork, and togetherness.  I’ll wait.  Can’t find any?  That’s right, there are none.  Without those 3 elements, an NBA basketball team can’t win enough games to be great or be a champion.  It’s common sense.  That at times, sadly, gets overlooked.  Tonight, Rockets fans will get a reminder of one of the reasons that made last season’s team the franchise’s best in it’s 51-year history.  Trevor Ariza makes his first debut in an opposing team’s uniform since leaving in free agency last summer, as the Wizards come to Houston.  Ariza brought those 3 elements. Chemistry, togetherness, and teamwork to the Rockets record-setting season last year, and was one of the main reasons for the team’s historical success.  James Harden and Chris Paul were superstars and led the team.  P.J. Tucker emerged as the best hustle player in the league.  Clint Capela showed Rockets fans why the organization drafter him.  Last season, the Rockets won a franchise-record 65 games. Do you think they would have won 65 games if Trevor Ariza wasn’t on that team? I don’t.  In my opinion, Trevor Ariza is one of the greatest “glue-guys” in NBA history.  He brings all the intangibles to the table. Sacrifices ego for the good of the team.  I’m not saying talented players don’t do that, but Trevor is talented too!  He just puts whatever team he’s on first because he’s all about winning.  He has a ring.  None of these Rockets players do, and one of the main reason’s Houston was a hamstring injury away from winning a title last year is Trevor Ariza.  Admit it or not, the Rockets miss him.  And boy could they use him now. It was a gut-punch when news hit a few days ago, about his trade to the Wizards, after months of speculation that he may return to the team mid-season.  Houston’s currently on a 4-game winning streak, and are playing what appears to be their best ball of the year.  James Harden has been the main reason for Houston’s current success.  The Beard’s playing basketball like his life depends on it.  Once CP3 and EG get back to form, the team will be performing at topnotch levels.  But, let’s look at the big picture.  The Rockets are 15-14 this season through 29 games.  Last year, Houston was a staggering 25-4 through 29 games.  They got off to a really hot start. But the Rockets lost only 17 games last year, and are only 3 games away from already matching that mark this early into the season.  They’re going to lose more than 17 games this year.  Unless James Harden has the best season in NBA history, and CP3, Caplea, EG, and PJ all have career years in the same season (which is virtually impossible).  This Rockets team hasn’t proven (yet) to have the potential to be better than last year’s team.  Trevor Ariza may not put up fancy numbers in the box score or wow you will SportsCenter-like highlights, but Ariza brings so much to a team’ success in terms of chemistry, and playing as a unit. Just look at the Rockets motto.  Run As One.  Trevor was all about that, and this year’s squad really misses him.  He’s durable, always had played well in D’Antoni’s system, and had a lot of fun.  His teammates loved him and vice versa. The chemistry was there.  This year’s Rockets squad has been beat up, experimented with Carmelo Anthony, and is one-year older in a league where age obviously plays a factor.  They really could use Trevor Ariza. Now more than ever.  But that wishful thinking’s over with and it’s time to get down to business.  The Rockets host a Wizards team coming off a tough loss to a bad Hawks team in Ariza’s debut where he was second to only Beal in scoring with 19 points, to go along with 8 rebunds, and 4 assists.  However, the Wizards had an inspiring beat-down over the the improved Lakers in their first game after learning Ariza had joined the team.  Trevor will undoubtedly make the struggling Wizards a better team.  The Rockets come into this game looking for someone to help out James Harden.  The Beard has been on a tear. But nothing lasts forever. He’s going to need some help and soon.  The Rockets’ next 11 games are arguably the squad’s most challenging part of the schedule this season.  With Houston (or Harden), slowly digging themselves out of an early-season hole, they can’t afford too many more losses.  After tonight, only 11 games remain for the Rockets until we’re officially halfway though the season.  Chris Paul looks like he’s aging a season with each game and Eric Gordon has been in a slump the team desperately needs him to shake off.  Clint Capela has slowed down a bit, it seems as if the big fella is getting tired and is already feeling the wear and tear of an NBA season.  Like many Rockets, Capela has been forced to play more minutes due to Houston’s injury bug that came earlier than expected.  Danuel House Jr. has been a hometown savior for the Rockets, coming out of nowhere in what is by far the in-season signing of this NBA season.  House has been fantastic, and Houston’s been outscoring opponents by devastatingly when House is on the court.  Gerald Green has been on and off, although recently he’s been a great tandem with House.  Their play together has re-energized the Rockets bench, an earned them the popular nickname the “GreenHouseEffect.”  Trevor Ariza might not be the most popular player, but Rockets fans and the team feel his absence, whether they want to admit it or not.  In the NBA, popularity only gets you to the All-Star Game, if you’re good enough.  Popularity doesn’t win championships.  Hopefully, James Ennis (who most casual fans have never heard of) will return to his aggressive form prior to his injury and remain on the floor for the rest of the season.  Ennis was the guy the Rockets expected to fill-in the void left by Ariza’s absence.  Ennis started slow, but showed great signs before suffering another early-season injury.  He appears, at least so far, to be one of the more injury prone players in the league.  Compare that to Trevor Ariza, who hardly ever misses a game, and is arguably a better player than Ennis, despite being on the downside of his career.  The Rockets will try and get their 5^th straight win tonight at Toyota Center against a Wizards team that looks to build upon Trevor’s arrival.  It will be tough to see Ariza, always a friendly face, and someone who did so much for Houston that went unseen last season.  That’s all in the past, however, and the Rockets need to try and contain him as something tells me he’s primed for a big night tonight against his former team.  Hopefully, Harden can some help tonight (especially come clutch time) so he doesn’t get worn out before the playoffs start.  Unfortunately, the Rockets don’t have the luxury of losing a game here or there.  These are must-win games for Houston as they continue to climb out of the hole they built themselves early in the season.  The Rockets need to limit Ariza’s looks from the perimeter, and contain Washington’s backcourt threat of John Wall and Bradley Beal, who combined to score 68 points the last time these teams met.  James Harden needs to have some help.  Look for Clint Capela to provide assistance with a big game, as the Wizards are one of the weaker teams at the Center position.  The Rockets’ big man should have himself a feast of points and rebounds in the paint.  Hopefully, EG and CP3’s shots will start falling so Harden doesn’t have to shoulder so much of the offensive load for Houston.  The Rockets need the “GreenHouse” to be in effect and they should be able to take down a Wizards team that has been inconsistent all year long.  Washington has its own trade rumors and chemistry issues, although Trevor Ariza seems to be a big solution when it comes problems in the locker room.  Don’t be surprised if the Wizards start to move up the standings in the Eastern Conference.  Let’s just hope it doesn’t start tonight.

 

Toyota Center: Houston, Texas

 

Jersey Colors:

Washington Wizards (12-19): Black

Houston Rockets (15-14): Red

 

TV: 7 PM CT – ATTSportsnetSW