Harden Delivers Knockout Punch, Rockets Top Sixers, 118-108
Cornrow James. Rising to the Occasion. Winter Break.
“People keep telling me they know me… No one does,” Rey says in The Rise of Skywalker, the final chapter in the epic space saga. It’s a quote that has me thinking… how well do you know James Harden? The guy capable of achieving the epic on a nightly basis in Space City. People tell me he’s overrated. That he flops, and doesn’t play defense. All he shoots are free throws. But all I see is the opposite, Dominant performances every night. Underrated defense and improved shooting efficiency. The Beard did it again on Friday night putting the finishing touches on a 118-108 Rockets victory over the Sixers at Toyota Center. Harden ended the evening with his first triple-double of the season. The Beard scored 44 points, including a few dagger threes that sealed the win for Houston, along with 11 boards and dimes apiece. It’s Harden’s 14th game this season topping the 40-point mark, leading the league by a large margin. These people, they keep telling me he’s getting all his points at the free throw line. But, the box score says Harden went 12-for-12 from the line, meaning 32 of his 44 points came from shots from the field. And 32 points is more than the second guy (Giannis) on the NBA’s points per game list, at 30.4. I don’t know if any of these people truly know James Harden, or can fathom his current historic stretch of play. Last year saw the Beard improve on an MVP season by averaging 36.1 points per game to lead the league. This year, Harden’s even better once again, averaging a whopping 38.4 points per game, as we are nearly halfway through the season. The most impressive facet of the Beard’s current arsenal is his shooting. Harden has been lights out recently from the field, shooting over 50% from the floor in each of the last seven games. Even more stunning, over the last 11 games, the Beard is 70-for-141 from downtown. That’s a staggering 49.6% for a guy who’s deadliest weapon is the long bomb. Cornow James shot 13-for-24 as he spotted a new do in the win over Philly. I bet you didn’t see that coming. No one did… but James. And no one knows what his next act will be. Just don’t expect to be disappointed.
The Rockets started sluggish, trailing by 7 after the first quarter. Houston regrouped for the second period, outscoring the Sixers 40-26, to take control of the game. Clint Capela outplayed Philly’s All-Star Joell Embiid, and had his best game of the season. Capela notched 30 points, grabbed 14 boards, while containing Embiid. The Sixer’s best player was held to only 20 points by a smothering Rocket defense. Houston’s big man, similar to the squad as a whole, has his best games against the best competition. Capela has been formidable against every All-Star he’s faced this season. In a stacked conference, Capela won’t get the All-Star consideriation he deserves, but he’s been outplaying All-Stars all season long. The Rockets have now beaten six consecutive teams with winning records. Their last five losses have been to teams with losing records. Houston is coming off two impressive wins over very good opponents. The squad needs to regroup after a quick break in the schedule, the Rockets have a rare four consecutive off days after their latest win on Friday. Houston’s schedule gets easier when the team takes the court in Atlanta against the NBA’s worst team, the Hawks, on Wednesday. However, as mentioned previously, that could be a bad thing. The Rockets have to quit playing down to their competition. If they beat the teams they’re supposed to, Houston has legitimate chance to catch the Lakers for the top seed in the West. Russell Westbrook posted 20 points, 7 boards, and 4 dimes. Brodie joined LeBron James, Jason Kidd, Oscar Robertson, and Magic Johnson, as the only players in NBA history with 7,000 assists and 6,000 rebounds. A pretty legendary list of players in my opinion. Westbrook’s court presence is an improving factor with each passing game. When Russ plays, the Rockets have won 12 of the last 15 games, with two losses coming in the final three seconds. Houston is rolling and hitting their stride as we approach the halfway mark of the season. The squad is currently 24-11, tied for second in the West. Plenty of time remains for the Rockets to improve their seeding to put themselves in the best playoff position.
Houston now has four off days in a row. A rare glitch in the NBA schedule. Hopefully, the Rockets won’t get rusty. The break’s not long, but Houston is rolling. The last thing Harden and company need right now.. are four days off. Nonetheless, they’ll have to manage. Three games in four nights await the sward when they resume action on Wednesday, in Atlanta. The Hawks have the worst record in the NBA, but are coming off an impressive win over the Indiana Pacers. Rust could play a factor early for Houston, and if they’re not prepared they could be in trouble against Trae Young and the Hawks. But, something tells me Harden will be ready. Everything these people tell me about Cornrow James seems to be an illusion. Harden gets better by the game, and after a slow start to the season shooting the ball, the Beard is rolling. No one knows what will happen this year for Harden and the Rockets in the playoffs. But one thing remains certain. His competitors have no idea how to guard Harden. They’re not alone… no one does.