New Pieces Start to Fit More Comfortably as Rockets top Bulls, 96-88, En Route to Back-to-Back Victories
The Rockets came into the United Center on Saturday night, and energized by the return of their MVP, along with key contributions from several new additions, they were able to avoid early season fatigue on their way to back-to-back wins for the first time this season. James Harden started the game the way he should most games, getting other teammates involved. James Ennis got off to an excellent start on both ends of the floor and had his best game in a Rockets uniform with 15 points in a mere 17 minutes. Carmelo Anthony was efficient for the second consecutive night, posting 17 points on 8 of 14 shooting from the field. He wasn’t as effective from long range (1 for 7) as last night’s 6 for 9, but Anthony still found ways to make his shots fall from inside the arc. Clint Capela posted his 5th consecutive double-double (tying the longest streak of his career) with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Although Capela hasn’t had any monstrous games in terms of his stats this season, he slowly looks to be returning to form as one of the smartest and agile true centers in the game. The Rockets’ third option has been consistent, they just need him to be consistently better if they want to beat the best teams the NBA has to offer. Gary Clark looked like a seasoned vet instead of a rookie in his second excellent game in a row in limited minutes off the bench. The rookie chipped in 6 points to go along with 7 rebounds in only 21 minutes. James Harden was solid, garnering 25 points and 7 assists in his first game back from injury. The Rockets will need to be better if they want to continue winning as the road trip only gets more difficult from here on out with Indiana, Oklahoma City, and San Antonio (all probable playoff teams) next on the schedule for Houston. Next up are the Indiana Pacers who are off to a great 7-3 start and currently sit as the 3rd best team in the Eastern Conference. Led by All-Star guard Victor Oladipo, and some underrated young big men (Myles Turner, Domantas Sabonis) the Pacers will pose as Houston’s greatest road threat so far this season. The Rockets will look to continue their winning streak on the road, in order to do that, they will need to play better. The Nets and the Bulls are two of the worst teams in the entire NBA, teams in rebuilding mode. The Pacers are slowly shifting from rebuilding to contender and now have their best team in years. The Rockets need to continue to communicate and work together on the defensive end if they want to beat a young, hungry Indiana Pacers team.