Rockets Bounce Back, Tame Raptors, 119-109
Mastering the Plan. Mac and Threes. Don’t Be Fooled.
“It’s easy to fool people when they’re already fooling themselves,” Quentin Beck says in Spider-Man: Far From Home. The Rockets found themselves far from home on Thursday night, playing up in the depths of Jurassic Park in Toronto… ready to fool everyone who thought Houston would be rattled after Tuesday’s crushing defeat. James Harden and company entered this game on the heels of the Alamo City Robbery controversy, but no one was fooling the Beard and his crew up North. Houston bounced back with arguably their best game of the season, besting the Raptors, 119-109, on Thursday. Make no mistake, this was a performance that displayed why the Rockets are legit contenders. The MVP was doubled the second he crossed mid-court, the entire game. A trend the Beard’s been seeing for seven games now, as teams are starting to realize nobody can guard James Harden one-on-one. Wait… I thought they said if you doubled Harden, and forced other players to beat you, the Rockets couldn’t win? Well, it turns out… they were wrong. Harden had only 23 points, but on an efficient 7-for-11 shooting from the field. Even after he was held to a quiet half, the Beard didn’t force any shots or ill-timed passes. Harden mastered Toronto’s defensive scheme. The Beard found open shooters, but only needed three dimes on the evening. Houston as a team made the right decision, play-after-play. Ball movement was as crisp and sharp as its been all season for the Rockets, and they never deterred from their game plan of confidently taking the open shot.
Russell Westbrook recorded another triple-double for the books, scoring 19 points, along with 13 boards and 11 dimes. Brodie, however, continues to struggle mightily with his shot. Westbrook connected on only 7 of his 27 shots, resulting in 25.9% from the field, the lowest shooting percentage by a Rocket. Westbrook’s relentless energy never waned, as he led the team in assists and boards. But Brodie’s shooting has been an area of concern since he arrived in H-Town. In the playoffs, against the league’s elite, Houston needs a sharper Brodie if they want to take Toronto’s place as NBA Champions. The playoffs are still a ways down the road. Westbrook has time to learn to take higher percentage shots, but he better start showing he can do it soon. All he has to do is look at his teammates, who were on fire on Thursday night.
Like the quote from Spider-Man: Far From Home, Harden knows it’s easy to fool people when they’re already fooling themselves. A master of deception. Keenly aware of his defenders next move, seemingly on every possession. His steely resolve, keeping the ultimate goal in mind. A casual fan will look at this game’s box score, see Harden’s 23 points, and think the Beard had a subpar game. Don’t be fooled. This was a masterpiece in versatility by the greatest scorer on planet earth… showing he’s much more than just a scorer. A known fact to people who actually watch Harden play every night, opposed to those who follow false narratives and just look at the box scores. His post-defense on Pascal Siakam. The ability for such a trigger-happy player to harness patience when his team needs it most. And that underrated bearded-court vision… Harden put on a masterclass display of leadership and how to dominate an opposing team’s game plan. He also helped Houston serve up a healthy portion of Mac-and-Threes.
Ben McLemore was sensational once again, scoring a season-high 28 points, including a career-high 8 long bombs. Danuel House returned on Thursday, but in a reserve role, due to not practicing with the team for days, and still battling an illness. House had 16 points on 5-for-11 shooting. The Houstonian was still visibly under the weather, feeling the effects from his flu-like illness. After the game, House said “he just wanted to get on the plane, and get some sleep.” An impressive effort from someone still battling the flu. Speaking of impressive, Ben McLemore as a starter looks like an All-Star. Take Benny Mac when he’s in a reserve role, and McLemore’s numbers are below average. Despite this, Coach Mike D’Antoni’s said Benny Mac will return to the bench once House is fully-healthy. Hopefully in the future, McLemore can find a rhythm coming off the bench like he’s had as a starter. P.J. Tucker continues to quietly have a career-season. The Sneaker King had 18 points and 11 boards, on 50% shooting… including all the usual hustle and grind Tucker brings every night. It was cold in Toronto, but the Rockets as a team were on fire from downtown. Harden and crew took full advantage of what the defense gave them. Houston shot 22-for-55, for 40.8% from deep as a unit. Take Westbrook’s 6 ill-advised three’s out the equation, and the Rockets shot 44.9% from downtown. When Houston’s knocking down long-range daggers at that rate, they’re almost impossible to beat.
After suffering arguably one of the most heartbreaking “defeats” in NBA-history, the Rockets came back with a performance worth only of title contenders. With their best player double and triple-teamed all night, the squad found a way to win the old fashioned way: team basketball. Houston’s role players stepped up, ready for the moment, and beat the defending champs in their house. And winning in Jurassic Park is no easy feat. Toronto is a legit contender in the East. The Raptors are 15-6 on the season, and before Houston invaded the park, they were 9-1 at home. Toronto’s showing their depth and chemistry went beyond Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green during last year’s title run. This year though, their run probably ends in the East. Yea, you’ve probably heard all the talk about possible contenders. The Lakers. The Clippers. Even the Nuggets. But don’t sleep on these Rockets. They made a deeper statement than winning a basketball game on Thursday night. If you think Houston isn’t a serious threat for Toronto’s throne… you’re just fooling yourself.