Comeback Kids 2: Westbrook Shines as Rockets Rally, Shock Clippers, 112-107
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Deja Vu. Wild, Wild West.
“That was the best acting I’ve ever seen in my whole life,” a young child-actor tells Leonardo DiCaprio’s fading movie star in Quentin Tarantino’s latest film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. And what a night it was in Hollywood on Thursday. For the second consecutive game, Houston faced a steep deficit late in the first half, and acted like they were going to lose. Far from the friendly confines of Toyota Center, this wasn’t going to be Monday night Deja Vu. The difference between hosting a Spurs team transitioning into rebuilding mode, versus playing on the road against a legit title contender, is night and day. The Rockets weren’t supposed to comeback. Not again. Not against these daunted Clippers, winners of 10 in a row at home. Yet, Houston shocked the world, ended the Clips streak at home, and won the game, 122-117, in impressive fashion.
The Rockets trailed by 17 late in the second quarter at Staples Center. Similar to the previous game against San Antonio, Russell Westbrook played the lead role as James Harden was targeted heavily by the defense, and had a quiet first half. Brodie kept Houston in the contest against a Clippers team seemingly poised to run away with the game as the clock approached halftime. The Rockets trailed by 15 at the break, but used a dominant third quarter to retake the lead, 90-87, going into the final period. Los Angeles struck back, taking a 113-107 advantage with less than 5 minutes to play. Harden finally caught fire near the end, scoring 9 of his 28 points during the final 6 minutes. But Thursday was Westbrook’s night.
Russ had his best game as a Rocket, showing a national audience why Houston’s superstar duo belongs in the same class as the pairs in L.A. Westbrook finished with a season-high 40 points, along with 10 boards and 5 assists. Russ shot an average 13-for-31, but only attempted 6 shots from long range. Brodie continues to make smarter basketball decisions as the season progresses, specifically with his placement of shot attempts on the floor. When Westbrook drives to the rim, Houston’s chances of winning rise.
The Beard scored a quiet 28 points, but hit some key threes late in the clutch, and dished out 10 dimes on the evening. Harden saw the best perimeter defense the league can offer, yet still managed to shoot 50% from the field, going 8-for-16 from the floor. Clint Capela quietly had a strong game for the Rockets. Houston’s big man posted 16 points, 8 boards, and 4 blocks. P.J. Tucker continues his career-season at age 34. P.J. grabbed 12 rebounds, and scored 10 points, along with great defense on Kawhi Leonard. The Claw was held to 25 points, but only scored 4 points in the final quarter with Tucker hounding him. Danuel House, Ben McLemore, and Austin Rivers all raised their defensive intensity to counter L..A.’s offensive firepower. Paul George led the way for the Clippers with 34 points, but it wasn’t enough, as Houston’s duo out-dueled L.A.’s star pairing on Thursday. The Beard locked up George in the clutch. PG-13 scored only 4 points in the final 5 minutes with Harden primarily defending him. In Harden and Westbrook, the Rockets house the league’s highest scoring duo, averaging around 60 points per game.
Round 3 at Staples Center only further cemented the matchup between these squads as the NBA’s most heated rivalry. In this rivalry, the bad blood gets worse with each game. Lou Williams was ejected after arguing a call in the second half. Patrick Beverly fouled out again, to the delight of Westbrook and the Rockets. Brodie waved goodbye to Mr. 94 Feet as he exited the contest. We’ll have to wait until March 5th the next time these blood-rivals will square off. It’ll be worth the wait. By then, Houston and L.A. will be jockeying for playoff positioning as the season nears the end. The final matchup should be just as, if not more, entertaining than the first three. For now, the Rockets need to focus on their lift-off.
Houston’s struggled mightily in the first half over the past two games. Everyone loves a great comeback, but the Rockets can’t keep falling behind by 15 points at halftime. Eventually, it’s going to wear Houston out. Rallying is hard work. It’s a long season, we’re not even at the halfway point. The Rockets need to keep their eyes on the big picture. Some comfortable wins will ease Houston’s tired legs in the long run. Hopefully, this road trip (the remaining 3 games all against losing teams) can bring out a more disciplined approach to the game from the Rockets.
Thursday night saw both of the NBA’s L.A. darlings fall (the Lakers lost to the Bucks), and proved it’s going to be a wild, wild, season the rest of the way out West. Nearing the halfway mark, Houston and the Clips are only 4 games behind the Lakers for the top spot out West. The Rockets have yet to play the LakeShow and the Clips have a date with LeBron and co. on Christmas. Much has to be determined in the wild, wild, west. One thing’s for sure: the West is going to be won in Los Angeles or Houston. If Brodie can continue this emergence as the best “second-best player” on his team in the NBA, the Rockets have a threat to knock off the Los Angeles juggernauts. His career-best performance as a Rocket. Westbrook can score 40 and shoot more than Harden every night. But that’s not the game plan. Russ knows. Houston knows. In some situations, you need to adjust your role properly to fit the scene, as the best actors do in Hollywood. On Thursday night, L.A.’s defense focused on Harden (unsurprisingly). Houston needed Westbrook to play the lead. And Russ stepped up and shined in the role. It’s the kind of acting Houston will require, especially in the playoffs… if they want to be the best Rockets team this generation’s ever seen.