Injuries Mount as Harden Exits Game Late as Rockets Remain Winless at Home
Just when you thought it couldn’t get much worse, James Harden suffered a hamstring injury late in Wednesday night’s 100-89 loss to Utah, and never returned. Even with Harden, this was another game in an ugly pattern that has seen the Rockets trail their opponents for the majority of this young season. The severity is unknown, however the Rockets will exercise caution with the MVP, and certainly won’t rush him back before he’s ready. Donovan Mitchell was the best player on the floor tonight and had his first on-par game of the season, finishing with 38 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds, while the Rockets had nothing to counter the second year star’s skillset on the court. No one else on the Jazz was terribly effective, the Rockets were just outplayed by Utah on a night when they were undermanned and lost THEIR man near the end of the game. It’s been a rough start to the season, but the Rockets will have Chris Paul back for the next game against the Clippers as the Rockets try and avenge their loss to L.A.’s spit-free team Friday at Toyota Center as they try and right the ship and get their first victory of the season in front of Red Nation and the home crowd.