Rockets Hang On, Beat Hornets, 118-113, in Wacky Charlotte Contest
The Swiss Bank is Open. Unfortunate Trend. Battle of Runs.
It might have taken a few games, but Clint Capela has finally returned to the All-Star form he resembled before the break. Houston’s big man had his best game since his injury, and the Rockets beat the Hornets in what turned out to be a weird game, 118-113. The victory gave Houston their third win in a row. Wednesday night’s duel was a battle of runs. Houston started out hot, hitting 6 3-pointers en route to 41 points, and an 8-point edge after the first quarter. And again, the Rockets managed to grab a sizeable lead, this time a 15-point edge over the Hornets. The lead was soon evaporated, and Charlotte led by as many as 12 at one point in the contest. Kemba Walker had another stellar game for the Hornets with 35 points. Charlotte ended the first half on a 28-6 run to take a 7-point lead into the half. The Rockets would respond in the final half. P.J. Tucker continued his stretch of shooting the ball with consistency. The Sneaker King went 5 for 5 from beyond the arc, on his way to 15 points. James Harden scored half of his 30 points in the 3rd quarter to get Houston back in the game. Clint Capela helped seal the deal down the stretch. Capela finished with 23 points, and 17 boards, including 8 points and 9 boards in the final quarter, respectively. Chris Paul had another efficiently spry outing. CP3 finished with 17 points and 10 dimes. Paul has been nothing short of stellar since the All-Break. And his critics seemed to go on vacation. If he can remain healthy, Houston has a chance to go even further than last year in the playoffs.
Houston really can’t catch a break in the health department. The Rockets’ streak of having the entire lineup available ended, after just one game. Kenneth Faried went to the locker room in the 2nd half, after sustaining a knee to the hip. Iman Shumpert also left the game with an injury. Houston, more than any other NBA franchise in recent memory, has been bogged down by injuries. No team is completely healthy all the time. But the Rockets are never healthy. I can’t remember the last time they were at full strength besides the lone game this season. Even with the injury bug flying around again, Houston needs to continue to win and move up in the standings. They’re only 3 games in the loss column behind Oklahoma City for the 3rd seed, the spot they’re aiming for come playoff time. Hopefully, the Manimal and Shump’s injuries aren’t too serious, and they can rejoin the team soon.
Ladies and gentleman, the Swiss Bank is back, and open. Clint Capela was money on Wednesday night. He was the best player on the court for Houston, and looks like he’s finally nearing full strength after recovering from injury. The Rockets are extremely more effective with their big man on the floor. In Charlotte, Capela led the way with 41 minutes, another sign that the big man is feeling up to speed. Despite being outrebounded 48-37, Capela had 17 of Houston’s 37 boards, and made his presence felt on the glass when the Rockets needed it most. This was a huge win for Houston. Every game is as the Rockets continue to climb out of their early-season hole. And victories on the road against teams battling for playoff position always present a challenge. Despite the second half deficit, Houston gutted out the win. The squad is slowly starting to find a groove again. Beating Charlotte was a battle of runs, in what’s been a season of runs. I have a feeling we’re in the midst of the Rockets longest winning streak of the year. No one’s grasped it quite yet. It might take a few games.