Harden Cooks Up a 60-Burger, Rockets Roast Hawks, 158-111
Uncut Gems. The Benaissance. Open Opportunities.
“This is me. This is how I win,” Adam Sandler says in the trailer for the upcoming film, Uncut Gems. This quote came to mind after Saturday night’s torching of the Hawks. In only three quarters James Harden scored 60 points, and the Rockets blew the birds out of Toyota Center, 158-111. Scoring 60 in an NBA game is very rare, doing it in three quarters, in this league, is an uncut gem. The Beard gave witnesses another historic performance, an uncut gem that he seemingly fabricates with such ease. Harden is in the midst of a career season, improving aspects of his game even after his record-breaking campaign last year. The Beard has gotten better every season since he arrived in Houston. The city had never seen a 60-Burger before Harden came to town. Now, they’ve witnessed four courtesy of His Beardness.
Saturday’s matchup was never close. Houston led by 17 after the first quarter, and 29 at the half. And it wasn’t just the Beard’s 60-Burger that made Saturday a great night. Ben McLemore finally broke out of his shooting slump. Benny Mac had a career-high 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting, including 6-for-11 beyond the arc. McLemore also had a career-high 13 rebounds, producing his first career double-double. With House and Capela out to injuries, McLemore was one of several Rockets who took advantage of the opportunity. Benny Mac even makes a case for a starting role. McLemore averages 17.4 points as a starter, compared to only 4.9 as a reserve. Due to Houston’s roster depth, McLemore won’t find himself in a starting spot without injuries, but his performance was encouraging, as Benny Mac continues to carve out a bigger role on Houston’s roster as the season moves along.
Chris Clemons continues to be red-hot from deep. CC3 scored 16 points, including 4-for-8 shooting from downtown. Gary Clark struggled shooting the ball, going 1-for-5 from the field. However, the UC still found a way to make an impact. Clark had 6 boards and 3 dimes in 24 minutes of action. Isaiah Hartenstein chipped in with 7 points and 5 boards in 5 minutes. These players are all competing for more playing time. Once Eric Gordon, Clint Capela, and Danuel House are all healthy, these guys won’t see close to the amount of action they’re seeing now. These stretch of games serve as open opportunities for McLemore, Clark, Clemons, and Hartenstein to show they deserve bigger roles on the roster.
One guy who needn’t worry about his roster spot: James Harden. The Beard absolutely cooked the Hawks on Saturday night. Harden was on fire, connecting on two-thirds (16-for-24) of his shot attempts. Trae Young had 37 points to lead Atlanta, but they really never had a chance against Houston. The Hawks were coming off a tough overtime loss in Indiana on Friday night. They visibly had tired legs, which Harden and the Rockets feasted on immediately. The Rockets did what they were supposed to do, and put Atlanta away early. It won’t be this easy most nights for Houston.
Looking ahead, in this crowded year of great screen performances, it won’t be easy for Adam Sandler to receive a nomination for his role in the highly anticipated Uncut Gems, but he’s got a realistic chance. He’s not favored at the moment, but there’s still time before Oscar nominations are released. This season’s playoffs will be more highly anticipated than ever before, and Houston isn’t the favorite, but they’ve got a realistic chance. The Rockets will need some playoff uncut gems from the Beard if they ever want to truly get over the top, and win a title in the Harden era. The Beard’s never scored 50 points in the playoffs. Opposing defenses are better in the postseason, but if Houston wants a championship, Harden needs at least 2 or 3 uncut gems in the playoffs. For the Rockets to beat the NBA’s best in June, they need Harden to be at his best. The versatile ways the Beard wears his opponents down to win games. His underrated defense, overlooked passing ability, and leadership. But, most of all, it’s scoring the rock… it’s how he wins.