Rockets Unleash the Manimal, Hold Off Raptors, 121-119
Too Close For Comfort. Harden Gets Help. Starting Dominance.
That was close. In a game the Rockets seemed to lead comfortably for most of the night, they allowed the final 9 points, with a shot from Kawhi Leonard being the potential difference-maker and game-winner, had it fallen. Kawhi finished with 32 points, 7 boards, and 5 assists, but the biggest shot he took was off the mark. Harden played great defense on the final possession and forced Leonard into an airball, as Houston held on for victory, 121-119, over Toronto on Friday night. The near-collapse marred a nice overall game for the Rockets. James Harden finally got a decent amount of help, and Houston led by as many as 21 at one point over one of the NBA’s best teams. Coach D’Antoni and the Rockets need to sharpen their focus at the end of games as Houston has blown several large leads this season, along with several near-collapses similar to Friday’s game. Nonetheless, the Rockets got a big win over the Raptors as Harden and company, despite being shorthanded, outplayed Leonard and Toronto overall.
Against the Raptors, James Harden extended his 30-game streak to 22 with 35 points, as he got plenty of help from teammates. Eric Gordon had yet another solid game, as Harden’s right-hand man while Paul and Capela remain sidelined. However, the biggest form of help came in the squad’s newest member. Kenneth Faried aka the “Manimal” had his best game as a Rocket, finishing with 21 points and 14 rebounds in 38 minutes of action. The Manimal has quietly put together 3 consecutive efficient performances since joining the squad. Faried’s scored in double figures in each of those games, while bringing some much-needed bounce and energy to a Houston squad tiring from the constant recklessness of the injury bug. This was the Manimal’s best game yet, when the Rockets needed him most as he fought off countless Raptors to make sure his presence was felt in the paint on both ends of the court. When Clint Capela comes back, the Rockets will have improved their frontcourt depth immensely contrary to the start of the season.
Houston’s starters dominated in the victory, scoring a whopping 111 of the team’s total 121 points. Eric Gordon had 24 as he’s starting to round back into form as a key contributor. P.J. Tucker had another solid offensive game, scoring 18, and Austin Rivers chipped in with 13 points. James Ennis had only 5 points, but his presence was felt all night, as his hustle and energy led to 8 boards. It was nice to see all the starters clicking, but Houston’s bench has been one of the worst in the NBA all season. This is, in large part, due to all the injuries the team has suffered, but the Rockets gets a big piece of their puzzle back on Sunday against the Magic. Chris Paul will be making his return from a hamstring injury after a 17-game absence. Houston’s bench will be kick-started with the return of either Austin Rivers or Eric Gordon to the bench (likely Rivers). Everyone is praying that Chris Paul will stay injury-free once he returns the lineup, and the Rockets can start to gel with their expected rotation, especially once Clint Capela returns, as they aim to make their push for playoff contention and one of the top seeds in the West.