Rockets Knock Off Kings, 122-119, For Season’s First Win
Final Swing. Best Trio? The Closer.
After a tightly contested contest, the Rockets finally got their first win of the season, 122-119, over the Kings to close the calendar year. Houston trailed by 5 points with around 5 minutes to go in the game, but Harden, who scored 16 of his 33 in the final quarter, couldn’t be stopped, and helped the Rockets gain the final swing of momentum late in the game with some clutch free throws. John Wall looked terrific in his debut, scoring 22 points, dishing out 9 assists, to go along with 6 boards. DeMarcus Cousins was solid in limited playing time. Boogie saw 14 minutes of action, registering 8 points and 3 rebounds. Eric Gordon had 17 points on 50% shooting in his first game of the year. And the Christian Wood coming out party continued. Wood had another double-double for the Rockets, finishing with 21 points and 12 boards, as he continues to be the early season favorite for the Most Improved Player in the NBA.
Sacramento stayed with Houston the entire contest, and they nearly had four different players reach the 20-point mark. The Kings had contributions from the usual suspects Buddy Hield and De’Aaron Fox, but also got solid contributions from Harrison Barnes, and Richaun Holmes was a beast in the paint, grabbing 13 boards for Sac-Town. However it was too much Harden in the end for the Kings, and he showed once again why his value is sky high in this league. The Beard scored or assisted on 16 of Houston’s final 18 points. Despite their record, the Rockets can make an early case for having the league’s best trio, in Harden, Wall, and Wood. If these three guys keep playing at their respective levels, the sky’s the limit for Houston’s potential.
This game was so close, Sacramento decided to stick around town, and give it another try. These two clubs will be back at it for a Saturday afternoon affair. The Rockets will be looking to deal the Kings another loss over the weekend. Hopefully the group stays focused throughout the New Year’s Holiday, and comes prepared to send Sacramento home empty-handed on Saturday. The Kings will be seeking revenge for their New Year’s Eve loss. If the Rockets can keep the turnovers down, and control the paint, they should be able to take down Sacramento over the weekend. Regardless, I have a feeling it’s going to be a tight contest.