Rockets Spoil Harden’s Houston Return, Stun Nets 114-104, for 7th Consecutive Win
EG Liftoff. Defensive Workshop. Perfect Birthday.
James Harden was back in Houston on Wednesday night, playing basketball in the building where he earned plenty of victories over his career. But on this night, victory eluded the Beard, as the Rockets topped the Nets, 114-104, pushing their winning streak to seven games. Kevin Durant and LaMarcus Aldridge, who both decided to rest, were late scratches for Brooklyn. Regardless, the Rockets still beat one of the best road teams in the NBA, and earned a win over the Beard in this much-anticipated matchup. Houston came out ready to play from the opening tip, leading for most of the contest. Eric Gordon started the fuse for Houston, scoring 15 of his team-high 21 points in the opening frame. EG, who seems to never get ejected, was even tossed from the game in the second half, as emotions were flowing throughout the night.
Christian Wood had another double-double, posting 12 points and 15 boards. Armoni Brooks chipped in 14 points, and Garrison Matthews aka “Garry Bird” saved the day when the matchup became too close for comfort in crunch time. Matthews continues to thrive as a starter. Garry Bird scored 19 points, and had some crucial plays late in the game. Matthews hit a few big threes to keep the Rockets ahead, and played stellar defense on Harden in the fourth quarter. Houston as a unit put on a defensive workshop on Wednesday night. The squad held one of the best offensive juggernauts to under 40% shooting, and kept Brooklyn well below their scoring average. The Rockets did an excellent job containing Harden, holding the Beard to a quiet 25 points.
On his 20th birthday, Josh Christopher had by far the best game of his NBA career. The rookie scored a career-high 18 points, including a dazzling 4-for-4 from long range. Christopher didn’t miss a shot, from the field or the free-throw line, and hit some key buckets late in the game for Houston. Sure, this game could’ve had a different outcome had Kevin Durant and LaMarcus Aldridge played, but the Rockets are still without Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green, so both squads were essentially short-handed.
Houston’s now won an incredible 7 straight games after losing 15 consecutive, a remarkable, and historic feat. The competition doesn’t get any easier for the Rockets, as the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks stride into town on Friday night. Houston will need to play even better against a Bucks team that’s beginning to round back into title form after a slow start to the season. Giannis Antetokounmpo smells blood and is a unique force, especially in the transitional game. If the Rockets want to pull off another upset, they’ll have to earn it with team effort on defense, just as they displayed against the former face of the franchise in Wednesday night’s trimming of the Nets.