Category: Uncategorized

Harden’s 57 Points Elevate Rockets Past Grizzlies, 112-94

M.V.P.   Clark’s Emergence.   The Harden Tour.  

 

This one was for Clint.  People said James Harden’s game would be limited, I even said he wouldn’t have as many tricks up his sleeve as usual.  Regardless, the Beard did what the Beard does this season: he proves people wrong.  Harden did it again Monday night, carrying a depleted Rockets team past the Grizzlies, dropping 57 points on the way to a 112-94 victory in Houston.  The Beard’s 57 points are a season-high, as he passed Kobe Bryant for 2^nd on the list of consecutive games scoring 30 or more, making this game Harden’s 17^th in a row.  If it wasn’t clear earlier, it should be crystal by now. James Harden is the MVP this season.  Unless he falls off the face of the Earth, the Beard is the most valuable player to any team in the NBA, no matter who’s on the injury list for Houston on any given night.  Monday night, and for some nights in the foreseeable future, the Rockets will be without 3 starters in their lineup.  Harden won’t score 57 every night, but he made a statement in the Rockets first game without Clint Capela, Chris Paul, and Eric Gordon.  As long as he’s healthy, and playing at this level, the Rockets have a chance against anyone, on any night.  That’s the definition of an MVP.  The Greek Freak is a sensational player, but he’s got a healthy, deep team around him, as the Bucks sit near the top of the East.  The Beard never knows who will or won’t be playing on any given night.  Harden just knows he’s all in, every night.  There shouldn’t be any more questions as to who will be named MVP this year.  They said he needed to score 50 to win.  Harden scored 57 points.  The MVP discussion is finally over.  The Beard ended it last night.

The Rockets had other players step up, despite some tired legs.  Danuel House had another stellar outing, with 15 points and vicious defense, as he proves to be one of the best role players in the league on a nightly basis.  Austin Rivers had another double-digit scoring affair, something he’s done in every game as a Rocket except once.  Gerald Green provided another spark off the bench with 14 points and his usual jolt of energy.  Gary Clark had another efficient, mistake-free outing in more minutes than usual for the rookie.  Clark has played well in every chance he’s been given.  The rookie just hasn’t been given enough minutes due to Houston’s depth.  Last night, he finished with 8 points and 3 boards with GREAT defense, in 26 minutes of action.  Now, he’ll have a chance to shine and possibly even earn a spot in the rotation like Danuel House did.  House ended up taking Clark’s spot in the rotation, before taking Ennis’ spot in the starting lineup.  All deserved for Danuel, whose breakout season has saved Houston and his undercurrent of hustle along with P.J. Tucker and Gerald Green have kept the Rockets afloat, along with Harden’s play, amongst all the injuries this season.  Gary Clark is the same grind it out, hustle player, like the aforementioned group.  Clark plays with a chip on his shoulder and with something to prove, the rookie went undrafted out of Cincinnati.  Another example of Daryl Morey’s genius as a GM, Clark has the opportunity of a lifetime to solidify one of the final spots in the rotation for himself if he continues to play mistake-free, efficient basketball.  The Rockets are the deepest team in the league, with Clark’s emergence (a player most media nationally haven’t even heard of) people will begin to recognize Houston’s depth as a real factor in their success, other than Harden’s greatness.  Clark’s evolution will be another key piece to the Rockets puzzle, as they search for that elusive third Championship.

Up next on the James Harden Tour, the Brooklyn Nets pay a visit to Houston on Wednesday night.  The Rockets will once again be without 3 key players (Paul, Capela, Gordon).  The Beard will try and make the Nets his next victim on his tour of schooling professional athletes, a tour that has no end in sight.  One sees the real value of a player when his back’s against the wall.  Most players force shots and they’re weaknesses are exposed.  When James Harden’s back is against the wall, he puts the team on his shoulders and carries them to victory, exposing his greatness as an individual and leader.  Harden’s proved it, time and time again, this season.  He’s the best player on the planet right now, in a league full of top-tier athletes James Harden stands alone as the best.  Houston fans, don’t take this for granted.  I keep thinking eventually this has to stop.  Although, something in Harden’s eyes tells me, the Beard has no plans of slowing down, at any point this season.  Hopefully, he will be able to keep it up.  The Rockets can’t afford to have the Harden Tour end anytime soon.

 

 

 

Banged-Up Rockets Host Grizzlies, Hope Home will Help Harden, Others, to Step Up

Hand Down, Man Down.   Time to Run As One.   How Good Are You Really, Mr. Harden?

The Rockets return home more banged-up than they’ve been all season long.  Clint Capela suffered an injury to his right thumb in last night’s game, and will miss the next 4-6 weeks.  This means the Rockets currently have 3 starters (Paul, Gordon, Capela) out of their lineup.  The Beard had an off-shooting night in Orlando, maybe home will help Harden get his rhythm from long range back.  The Rockets will need it, as a tough Memphis Grizzlies squad comes to town on Monday night.  The Grizzlies don’t boast the most talent, but they play hard every night and will have an advantage at the Center position with Capela absent.  Marc Gasol is one of the league’s better, experienced Centers and without Capela will pose matchup problems to Houston’s interior all night long.

It’s time for the Rockets to “Run As One”, and play well as a group.  Clint was truly playing at an All-Star level, and his absence will be felt in the lineup.  Everyone will see more playing time, and it is crucial guys continue to play well in their respective roles.  Austin Rivers has been a lifesaver for the Rockets, and is coming off his best game of the season.  Rivers will only see more looks with Capela’s absence limiting the pick and roll opportunities for the Beard, as Clint is Harden’s go-to guy in the crucial part of the Rockets offense.  The Rockets will be at a disadvantage in the post without Capela, and will need to rely more on small-ball and hustle to win games.

No matter how many guys step up, the Rockets will still need James Harden to continue playing at an elite level.  Now, with another man down, the Beard faces a firm challenge in testing how great his abilities truly are on the court.  Capela is a key facet to Harden’s game.  Clint’s absence takes away the pick-and-roll between the two that resulted in either: open Harden three’s, or an assisted lob to Capela for an open dunk.  The Beard needs his shot to be in a better rhythm than it was in Orlando, or the Rockets could find themselves in some trouble.  Tonight, Houston faces a desperate Grizzlies team, with their playoff-hopes not yet out of reach.  Hopefully, Harden’s shot will be falling and he can lead the Rockets to another victory.  Houston’s margin for error is closing, and the Rockets can’t afford to fall further back in the West standings.  Luckily, Houston’s got the MVP.  And tonight, Harden has another chance to show the basketball world why he deserves to be called the MVP this season as well.

Toyota Center:  Houston, Texas

 

Jersey Colors:

Memphis Grizzlies (19-23):  Blue

Houston Rockets (24-18):  Red

 

TV:  7 PM CT – ATT Sportsnet SW

Rockets Play Down to Competition, Lack Focus, Fall to Magic, 106-99

Toying Around.   Another One Bites the Dust.   Harden Hero Ball.

          Houston sailed into Orlando, home to the happiest place on Earth, Disneyworld, feeling pretty good about themselves after a recent blowout-win over the Cavs.  The Rockets had managed a difficult stretch with key players out and finished the first half 13-3, after starting the season 1-5.  Houston looked to start the second half of the season better than the first, with a visit to Amway Center.  However unimpressive their record might be, the Orlando Magic are no joke.  And they proved that last night. For the majority of the contest, the Rockets toyed around with the Magic just to see how close they could keep the game.  Soon enough, Houston’s lack of focus instilled confidence in Orlando, and bolstered the Magic to a comeback victory on Sunday night, 106-99, over a Rockets team left scratching their heads. Houston let this one go.  A game they definitely should have won over inferior competition, the Rockets also controlled the pace for much of the matchup, and held the lead for the majority of it, until they collapsed mid-fourth quarter.

Despite having a record of now 19-24, the Magic are still a team of professionals, like any squad in the NBA.  If you toy around and play down to your competition, in many situations, it will come back to bite you.  That’s pretty much what happened on Sunday night in Orlando.  The Rockets wasted Austin Rivers’ best game as a Rocket, and Harden was both historically great and awful.  Rivers’ finished with a season-high 25 points, and was the lone bright spot for much of the game, besides Danuel House, who had another efficient outing, with 14 points and great defense.  The Beard scored 38 points, along with 9 boards and 12 assists, and tied Kobe Bryant for the longest streak of consecutive game scoring 30 or more points, with 16 straight.  However, this was not Harden’s night shooting the basketball.  Usually, Harden Hero Ball has worked this season for Houston, but not last night.  The Beard went 1 for 17 from long range.  Harden missed a staggering 16 attempts from the promise land, but had no trouble getting to the line, hence the 38 points.  The Beard should have driven the ball to the basket more instead of settling from distance on a night when his shot from deep was not falling.

Clint Capela had a solid, but less than spectacular game, with 17 points and 10 rebounds.  Unfortunately, Clint injured his right thumb in the contest, and will miss tonight’s matchup.  What’s even more devastating is Capela will miss the next 4-6 weeks.  Hopefully the Rockets can dodge another bullet, and keep pace in the West standings with arguably their second most-important player down.  Houston needs their big man to get healthy as quickly as possible.  Capela has been a key piece to the Rockets’ recent resurgence in the standings.  Harden and Capela’s pick and roll is one of the deadliest arsenals in Houston’s offense, and arguably unstoppable, especially when the Beard’s shot is falling.  Capela’s absence removes this key part of the Rockets and Harden’s game, forcing them to result to other options.  Houston will have to adjust properly with another man down, as they play a Grizzlies team next that always plays hard, and has their own star big man in veteran Marc Gasol.

The Rockets will rely on Harden and his version of “Hero-Ball” more than ever in this game.  Clint Capela is out, along with Chris Paul and Eric Gordon.  Houston needs more players to step up and give the Beard some help.  Rivers, House, Tucker, Green, and Ennis will all get added playing time in Capela’s absence.  Clark, and even Isaiah Hartenstein, just called up from the G-League, will see more time as well.  The Rockets are thin at the 5-position, so Capela’s injury hurts arguably even more than Paul or Gordon’s.  Houston needs the Beard to be back on his game and hitting that step-back 3 or the Rockets could find themselves in trouble in the near future.  Up next, the Memphis Grizzlies come to town Monday night.  This will be a great first test for a depleted Rockets team in terms of how they can manage without Capela.  Memphis sits in the 14^th spot in the crowded West standings, yet are only 3 games out of playoff contention.  The Grizzlies will be a tough out for the Rockets, without Capela.  Marc Gasol is one of the best big men in the league and is a skilled veteran who, along with Mike Conley, lead this Memphis team to play hard every night.  The Rockets will need Harden’s Hero Ball to be working, and everyone else needs to step up in order to quickly right the ship.

Second Half of Season Starts in Orlando, Rockets Seek Fast-Pass to Victory

A New Half Begins.   Toughest Matchup Yet?   Beard Magic.      

 

Well, that was fast.  With the first half of the season already in the books, Houston looks to keep winning and climbing up the standings.  The second half of the season begins Sunday evening in Orlando, as the Rockets take on the Magic, one of the East’s less formidable teams.  James Harden and company look to keep the winning ways rolling, as they face another team they should be able to beat, even without Chris Paul and Eric Gordon.  CP3 and EG are due back “soon” according sources, but the Rockets have been playing just fine without them.  The Magic don’t boast enough talent to give injury-riddled Houston any issues, besides Orlando’s big man in the middle

Nikola Vucevic is the Magic’s best player, and one of the more overlooked big-men in the league.  Vucevic will pose one of the biggest challenges to Clint Capela yet, as the European’s style of play is very unique and efficient.  Vucevic doesn’t make many mistakes and is a beast on the boards.  Capela will have to be locked in like he has all season and the Rockets emerging All-Star should be able to win the Center matchup this evening.  Aaron Gordon will also be a force for Orlando inside, so Tucker, House, and others need to help out Clint in the battle for the boards.

Hopefully, the Rockets will put the Magic away early, so starters can get rest and players at the end of the bench can get another opportunity like in the last game.  Houston will need some more magic from the Beard if they want to take the Orlando crowd out of the game early.  The Magic are a better team than Cleveland, but the Rockets need to win the battle on the boards, and help Capela out on the inside.  Orlando is coming off one of their best wins of the season, a two-point victory over the Celtics, yesterday at home.  This is the second night of a back-to-back for the Magic, and the Rockets should put Orlando’s tired legs to rest early after the Magic’s hard-fought comeback-win over Boston last night.  Harden should have no problems getting 30 points again, as the Rockets should be have their own Fast-Pass to victory tonight over the Magic.

Amway Center:  Orlando, Florida

 

Jersey Colors:

Orlando Magic (18-24) – Blue

Houston Rockets (24-17) – White

 

TV:  5:00 PM CT – ATT Sportsnet SW

Rockets Blast Cavs, 141-113, In Complete Team-Effort

Again.   Garbage Time.   Looking Ahead.

The Rockets made easy work of the Cavs on Friday night at Toyota Center.  Houston put Cleveland away early en route to a 141-113 victory, in a game that was never close.  James Harden led the way with 43 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 dimes.  The Beard had his 4^th career 40-point triple-double, and he managed to do it in only 30 minutes of action, becoming the first player in NBA history to accomplish the feat.  Harden passed T-Mac for sole possession of 2^nd place for most games in a row with 30 or more points, doing it for the 15^th consecutive game.  Six Rockets finished in double-figures and 9 had at least 7 or more points.  It was a total team effort for Houston, as they had no problems with one of the league’s worst teams.

Garbage time even produced promising results, as Marquess Chriss and Brandon Knight both had their best games in Rocket uniforms.  Houston did what they were supposed to do.  Put away a bad team early and finish the job so everyone can get playing time and your starters can get rest.  It was a solid close, and complete team effort to close out the first half of the season by the Rockets.

Up next for Houston, the second half of the season begins.  Looking ahead, the schedule is not as difficult as the first half, yet many tough games remain to be played for the Rockets.  Up next, the Rockets travel to Orlando to face the Magic.  Orlando sits on the outside looking in and probably won’t make the playoffs this year.  Although, they boast one of the best big men in the league, Nikola Vucevic.  Vucevic is having a career season in a contract-year, and will pose another huge challenge to Clint Capela on the inside.  The Rockets should be able to handle the Magic, like they did Cleveland, and put them away early for a win to start the second half of the season.

Rockets Host Cavs, Seek a Win to Close Out Season’s First Half

An Easy Obstacle.   15 for 30?   Halftime.

           Throughout the first half of the season, the Rockets encountered many challenging obstacles.  Tonight shouldn’t be one of them. Houston hosts the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night at Toyota Center in what should be an easy victory as we reach the midway point in the season.  Cleveland is one of the worst teams in the NBA.  A young, rebuilding squad, with not much talent at all, the Cavs should pose no threat to the Rockets.  Houston’s immensely improved since the Cavs won the first meeting between these two teams in Cleveland.  A matchup some could argue was the Rockets worst loss of the season so far.  Houston has no reason to lose this game, despite Chris Paul and Eric Gordon remaining out with injuries.  The Rockets have Harden, Capela, and the best group of role players in the NBA who are really starting to mesh as a group and “Run As One.”  Cleveland has some potential, with the upside of rookie point guard Colin Sexton, but that’s just about it.  The Cavs are trying to deal Kevin Love as they try and navigate the rebuilding process successfully.  No doubt they are praying every day in Cleveland to get that number one pick come draft time (again, which would be their 3^rd in about a decade).  Friday night’s game should be an easy victory for the Rockets, so long as they don’t overlook or play down to their competition.

James Harden’s playing at that superstar level mentally, where in his mindset, he should be seeking out revenge after losing his first battle against Sexton and the Cavs.  The Beard goes for a mind-boggling 15^th straight game with 30 or more points tonight in Houston, where the Rockets have gone 14-2, since starting the season 0-4.  Harden should have no problem accomplishing this feat, the only way it might not happen is if the Rockets jump on the Cavs and blow them out of the building quickly.  This would result in Harden getting lesser minutes and not playing the fourth quarter (potentially), all of which are good things for the team in the long run.  I expect this to happen in a Houston victory, as the Rockets should have no problems with arguably the worst team in the entire league this season.  If the Beard reaches 30 points or not again is hard to tell.  Harden’s been playing at a historic level.  It seems like if he really wanted to, the Beard could put up 30 points in the first half.

After this game, which is number 41 out of 82 games on the Rockets’ regular season slate, the finale will officially mark the halfway point of the season for Houston.  The Rockets started off slow, but as we’ve all witnessed, closed strong, against even stronger competition, after a much easier start to the season schedule-wise.  And integrated several key new pieces (House, Rivers) seamlessly.  Houston’s chemistry should only get better as the season moves along and as they get healthier as a unit.  Chris Paul and Eric Gordon’s respective returns (both coming in the near future, Gordon sooner than Paul) will make the Rockets a devastating out for any opponent.  These are all positive things to look forward to, with the second half of the season on the horizon.  A win tonight gives Houston 13 victories out of their last 16 games, mostly against playoff-caliber competition (excluding tonight’s matchup).  The Rockets look to close out the first half of the season with a win over a bad Cavs team in front of the home crowd.  It should be an easy obstacle for the Beard and company to overcome.

 

Toyota Center: Houston, Texas

 

Jersey Colors:

 

Cleveland Cavaliers (8-34) – White

 

Houston Rockets (23-17) – Black

 

TV: 7:00 PM CT – ATT Sportsnet SW

Despite Harden’s 42, Rockets’ Surge Slowed by Bucks, 116-109

Fear the Deer.   The Worst Has Passed.   Closing Strong.

The short-handed Rockets fought admirably, yet came up short to an elite Bucks team that exposed several Houston weaknesses en route to a 116-109 victory, at Toyota Center on Wednesday night.  Giannis “The Greek Freak” Antetokounmpo was a beast all over the floor, despite not mashing once on the Rockets’ D (a rare feat for defense in today’s NBA, considering The Freak leads the league in dunks this season).  Giannis showcased why he’s right in the thick of the discussion for MVP.  The Freak finished with 27 points and 21 boards as the Rockets contained him but as a whole weren’t the better team on Wednesday (Although Houston still has CP3 and EG out, the Bucks are healthy). Milwaukee is one of the deepest teams in the league, one of the best shooting and defensive teams, all attributes they put on display in Houston.  Malcolm Brogdon had another stellar game for the Bucks with 24 points, as he continues his breakout-season as an elite role player in the league.  Khris Middleton scored 15 and Bledsoe chipped in with 10 among other resourceful Bucks.  Milwaukee has a decent chance to win the Eastern Conference.  They’re deep, they have the best player in the conference and Coach Bud has worked wonders in his first year with the Bucks.  I still think they’ll come up short to Toronto or Boston, but Milwaukee will be a very tough out in the playoffs.  The Bucks may not be as talented as the other three Eastern contenders: Toronto, Bosto, and Philly, but Milwaukee is deeper than any of those teams, plays harder, and has absolutely no chemistry issues, something that can’t be said about the other Eastern contenders.

Good news for Houston fans: the toughest part of the regular season has passed for the Rockets.  Plenty of difficult games remain but this last 15-game stretch was by far the most difficult of the season.  For the Rockets to finish 12-3 and have the majority of those games without Chris Paul, and many without Eric Gordon, among other injuries, speaks volumes to how well the team has played and is improving as the season moves along.  Obviously, the Beard’s play has been the most contributing factor, but even Harden needs help against the league’s best.  The Beard’s 42 points would have been enough against most teams during this stretch, but Milwaukee proved they are a force to be reckoned with in the East this year.

Up next Houston, the Rockets try and close the first half of the season on a positive note with a victory over the lowly Cleveland Cavaliers.  The Cavs beat Houston earlier in one of the worst losses of the season for the Rockets.  Revenge is in store for this game as the squad will try and go out and get the 24^th win of the season.  The Rockets are an entirely different team than when they first played the Cavs.  So, Houston shouldn’t have any problems beating one of the worst teams in the NBA on Friday night at Toyota Center.  It will be a nice way to close the first half of the season strong.

Rockets Host Bucks in Clash of MVP Candidates

Fear the Beard vs. Fear the Deer.   Freak Show.   13 For 30.

The Rockets take on another top team in the Milwaukee Bucks, as Houston’s toughest stretch of the schedule comes to a close.  Wednesday night will feature a matchup between the NBA’s top two MVP candidates at the moment, in James Harden and Milwaukee’s Giannis “The Greek Freak” Antetokounmpo.  The Bucks’ slogan is “Fear the Deer”, and this is the best team they’ve had in decades, with the Freak being a top 5-player in the league (at minimum).  Harden and the Rockets will look to show that the Beard is more fearful when they take on a deep and versatile Bucks team that is similar in manpower to Denver, but will prove to be a much more difficult contest matchup-wise for Houston.

The Freak is a beast all on his own.  Giannis is the league’s most athletic player, and the league’s top finisher in transition.  The only weakness in his game is his three-point shot, which isn’t bad, but could be better.  Once he improves from deep, he will be unstoppable.  What’s scary is the Freak just turned 24, a little over a month ago.  He’s having an MVP-season and he still has 5-6 years left to play before he reaches the peak of his prime, which in the NBA is around age 29-31 (Harden is currently 29).  The Freak poses a matchup problem of all sorts.  He’s too big and strong for anyone quick enough to guard him, while the Freak himself is too quick and strong for any bigger player to guard.  The ultimate matchup nightmare.  The Rockets will have plenty of bodies to throw at Giannis.  Look to see P.J. Tucker on him for much of the night, as well as House, Ennis, Green, and others, as Houston tries to stop the biggest individual threat to arrive at Toyota Center this season.

James Harden looks to extend his streak of 30 or more points in a game to 14 with 30 more tonight in the books.  The Beard has 13 straight games scoring more than 30 points, and he continues to prove night-in and night-out, why he’s the MVP of the NBA.  He’ll be able to make a big statement with a dominant performance in a Rockets win over the Freak and the Bucks on Wednesday night at Toyota Center.  The Beard will need plenty of help like last game.  The Bucks are loaded with sleepers, guys no one’s really heard of, but play hard every night.  Malcolm Brogdon has emerged as their second-best player this season, as he runs the show for Milwaukee at the point.  Look for Brook Lopez to give Capela the fits, as the Bucks’ big man is a no-nonsense, dirty-work type of player, and could pose problems for Clint.  Hopefully, P.J. continues his shooting groove on his Bobblehead night, and the Rockets can pull out the victory over one of the beasts in the East.

Toyota Center:  Houston, Texas

 

Jersey Colors:

Milwaukee Bucks (28-11) – Black

Houston Rockets (23-16) – Red

 

TV:  7:00 PM CT – ESPN,  ATT Sportsnet SW

Capela’s Career-Night, Harden, Cross Up Murray, Nuggets, 125-113

Why So Serious?   Don’t Fall, Jamal!   Hustle and Flow.

Houston returned home to Toyota Center to face a top-seeded Denver Nuggets team as they enter the final mini-stretch of the season’s first half.  The Rockets had no problem with the Nuggets, doing some serious work on Denver and a man’s ankles, Capela and Harden led Houston past Denver, 125-113, on Monday night.  Nikola Jokic “the Joker” might be regarded as the better player in the duel between the big men, however, it was Clint Capela who had the last laugh.  Capela finished with a career-high 31 points to go along with 9 boards.  Clint outplayed another All-Star center, something that’s becoming as nightly as the MVP scoring dropping 30 on the opponent.  The Rockets’ force in the middle proved he’s worthy of being an All-Star this season.  If he doesn’t make the team, it’s not for lack of talent.  The game is a popularity contest, at the moment Derrick Rose has more votes than James Harden.  That pretty much sums up how ridiculously biased the voting is, when it comes to the fan portion of the vote.  But the All-Star game doesn’t mean anything.  Capela’s doing work in games that mean something to help the Rockets climb back up the West standings, and he’s been having the season of his career, some guy with a beard just takes more of the spotlight.

Speaking of beards, James Harden’s streak of 10 straight games with 35+ points and 5+ assists came to an end.  The Beard finished with 32 points and played distributor for much of the night as the rest of the team got rolling, finishing with 14 dimes.  For the first time in twelve games, Harden lowered his scoring average.  By scoring 32 points.  That’s how insanely amazing the Beard’s play has been.  Harden did match his jersey number with his 13^th straight game with at least 30 points.  For a moment, he taught Jamal Murray how to skate, or he tried.  Murray couldn’t keep up, and fell victim to another deadly Harden crossover, arguably the Beard’s best of the season (comparable to the Wesley Johnson Memorial, held last season at Staples in L.A.).  Harden didn’t need as much help tonight, as the Rockets as a team were in a groove.

P.J. Tucker got out of his shooting slump to hit a career-high 7 three-pointers for 21 points.  Gerald Green had another solid game off the bench, finishing with 21 points, and Houston was just too much for a Denver team they’ve now beaten 10 times in a row.  If the Rockets can keep their shooting flow in a nice rhythm and continue to hustle, they can beat any team on any given night.  They will have to continue to hustle and flow on the court, as some beasts from the East come to Houston next, on Wednesday.  The Rockets will host The Greek Freak and the #1 seed Milwaukee Bucks in what should be another tough test for Houston during this difficult stretch in the schedule.  The Rockets don’t match up as well with the Bucks, and the Freak is a whole separate issue altogether.  If Houston plays serious, and as a team, like they did Monday against the Nuggets, the Rockets should pose serious problems for a Bucks team that’s been near the top of the East all season.

Rockets Welcome West-Leading Nuggets to Town, Matchup is No Laughing Matter

Houston-State-of-Mind.   No Joking Around.   Homeward Bound.    

The Rockets are coming off what many call a “hangover” loss to the Blazers in their previous game.  A “Hangover” due to their massive comeback-win on the road in the Champs’ house the game prior.  The Rockets did come out somewhat lackluster, despite Austin Rivers’ offensive spark to start the game. Portland out-played Houston and won.  The squad battled back from sixteen down to make the game interesting, but it wasn’t enough.  Harden and the Rockets’ shots just weren’t falling, and they lost to a decent playoff-bound Blazers team.  It wasn’t a hangover loss, although the Rockets were feeling great after that win over the Warriors, and did come out against the Blazers slower than usual (especially at the end of the first half).  As good as this Rockets team is, they were just out-rebounded and out-hustled by Portland, and ultimately lost.  You can’t with all the games you play.  However, some wins do matter more than others, and that victory over Golden State was still on the minds of both teams during their respective contests on Saturday night.

Houston had that huge win over the Warriors on Thursday night, and the victory seemed to get inside someone’s head.  On Saturday night, Stephen Curry tried to pull-off Harden’s patented, yet extremely difficult, step-back three-pointer, and was called for a travel.  Curry put up his hands to resemble the number “13” trying to say if Harden had done the same move, he wouldn’t have been called for a travel.  However, Steph Curry obviously travelled.  It was a lame attempt at taking a shot at James Harden and the Beard’s invincible move.  Looks like the Warriors are still salty from that loss on Thursday night.  A loss, that came at the hands of one the Beard’s step-back threes (maybe the most difficult of his entire career).  Golden State always says they don’t think about the Rockets, but right now it looks like they have a Houston-State-of-Mind.  Harden and the Rockets have finally gotten into the Warriors’ head.  Golden State still can’t get over a loss in which Kevin Durant was allowed to play out-of-bounds, Draymond Green complained all night with no techs, and the Warriors had no answer for the Beard’s signature move, that, ultimately, ended up winning the game for Houston.  All of these (other than the refs continuation to allow Draymond to say whatever he wants when he wants, no matter how offensive the statement) are good signs for the Rockets and further signs of Golden State’s mental destruction.

The scrutiny on the Beard’s patented move that he’s perfected this season is criminal.  It’s gotten to the point of being a crude joke and is frankly, downright disrespectful.  The Beard’s in the prime of his career and all people want to do is criticize his smallest mistakes.  Sure, Harden travels here and there.  But so does every NBA player.  He doesn’t literally hold the ball and walk halfway up the court like Russell Westbrook (see: last season).  The league even said they’re trying to get the officials to whistle more travel calls this year, although that hasn’t been a major occurrence.  The concept with Harden’s move is his incredible footwork mixed with his ability to lure defenders with his ball handling skills.  But, the aspect of the move that DIFFERS from the way Curry tries it lies in the difference in the players’ lower body strength.  First of all, Harden is a freight train when compared to the frail Curry. Steph’s a great player, but he travelled, and Harden doesn’t (most of the time).  The Beard’s lower-body strength and calf muscles are much stronger than Currys’.  Combine this factor with the Beard’s quickness and stronger legs, which allow him to avoid the travel and do the move unlike any player in history, prove that James Harden doesn’t travel when he lets his step-back three fly.  He may once in a blue moon, but if you think the Beard travels all the time, like the sickening false rumors that run amass the Internet claiming he does, watch him play.  Actually watch. Harden’s too quick for most people to even keep up with his footwork, let alone if they’re not multi-tasking, like many when they watch games.  People just believe what they hear when others claim it’s true, even when they haven’t seen it themselves.  Sure, Harden has that one missed-travel call on Rubio that brought the hate down on him like the plague.  It’s funny how that’s the only play people can come up with when claiming that Harden always travels.

What’s not funny is the Denver Nuggets Center Nikola Jokic aka “The Joker”, and the idea of trying to stop him.  The guy with the best nickname in the NBA isn’t joking around.  The Joker is one of the best Centers in the league, second to only Anthony Davis.  Tonight, the league’s best passing Center, and triple-double flirt-machine hits Toyota Center looking to give the Nuggets their sixth win in a row.  James Harden and the Rockets look to prove that Saturday’s loss to the Blazers was just an anomaly.  It won’t be easy with the Western Conference-leading Denver Nuggets in town.  Denver sports an impressive 26-11 record with the top spot in the standings.  The Rockets had one of their more impressive wins earlier in the season, 109-99 over the Nuggets in Denver, when Houston was desperately searching for consistency.  Since then the Rockets’ improvement has been night and day, whilst the Nuggets have had one of the top spots in the West all season.  The Joker is having a career-year as he leads a Nuggets team that’s been hampered by injuries for much of the season, yet still has a small three-game cushion above other teams in the crowded West.  The Rockets had trouble with Nurkic in the previous game, Jokic is an even worse nightmare. Capela will have his hand full on both ends of the floor trying to go toe-to-toe with the Joker.  The Nuggets are deep and versatile, Gary Harris and Paul Millsap’s recent return from injuries only strengthens their lineup.  This game will not be an easy out for Houston.  The Rockets need to bring the focus they had on their win streak if they want to get a victory over a relentless Nuggets team currently on their own five-game winning-streak.  Houston’s focus was top-notch against the Warriors, and the Rockets need to get back to that level to beat a solid Nuggets team, getting healthier and more acclimated to each other with every game.

Nine of Houston’s next twelve games are at Toyota Center.  The Rockets need to take advantage of this home-heavy schedule and take a bound forward in the standings.  A win over a competitive Nuggets team would get the Rockets to within three and a half games of Denver for the top spot out West.  As we approach the midway point there’s still plenty of time in the season for teams to move up and down in the standings.  Houston can do that with a big win tonight that would also guarantee them a portion of the tiebreaker with the Nuggets, as the Rockets already won the first matchup between the teams this season.  The Beard and company try for their tenth win in a row at home tonight at Toyota Center.  Michael Carter-Williams was traded to the Chicago Bulls, for cash and a second rounder, freeing up the roster spot for Danue House Jr., who has been a prime example of what can happen what you put the determination in to getting better and buy into a system.  Other than being supportive on the bench, this Rockets team is just too deep and doesn’t need a player of MCW’s caliber.  Carter-Williams will always be remembered as the Rocket who hit the shot to break Houston’s three-point record, until that record’s broken again, probably this season.  Denver comes into Houston having won nine of its last eleven games.  The Rockets have won eleven of their last thirteen contests.  Something’s bound to give.  The Nuggets have had a great first half to the season, but Houston usually plays well against Denver.  The Beard and the Rockets hope that trend continues, but it’ll be another tough test for a depleted Houston team, still without Chris Paul and Eric Gordon.  The Rockets will try and get the last laugh over the Joker’s Nuggets tonight, back in the friendly confines of Toyota Center.  This time, Houston shouldn’t have to worry about any sort of “hangover.”

Toyota Center:  Houston, Texas

 

Jersey Colors:

Denver Nuggets (26-11) – Navy Blue

Houston Rockets (22-16) – White

 

TV:  7:00 PM CT – ATT Sportsnet SW