Bearded Sunset: Harden’s 47 Distance Rockets Past Suns, 139-125
30 x 30. Heavy Lied the Hand. Desert Sniper.
“I am the gatekeeper to my own destiny and I will have my glory day in the hot sun,” Jack Black says in Nacho Libre, a 2006 film about a cook moonlighting as a wrestler. On Saturday night, James Harden cooked the Suns late into the moonlight, leading Houston past Phoenix for a 139-125 victory. The Beard finished with 47 points, including a dazzling array of late step-back three’s.. the kind of deep shots that only Harden can make. The Arizona State product also added 7 assists and 6 boards, to the delight of many fans in the crowd. Harden still has plenty of friends in Arizona, and Phoenix embraced Harden before he was in the NBA, when he was a budding prospect at ASU. Phoenix kept within striking distance for most of the matchup, but once Harden got sizzling, they had no chance… it was time for the Suns to set. The victory sealed three straight for the Rockets, including five consecutive road wins. It’s also the squad’s 11th straight win in Phoenix, a place where Harden and co. have felt right at home. Russell Westbrook’s chemistry with Harden and the squad improves each night. Brodie displayed another stellar performance for Houston, scoring 30 points, while dishing out 10 assists. Westbrook’s shot selection in Phoenix was beautiful. Russ went 11-for-21 from the floor, better than 50% shooting. And Brodie only attempted two threes, draining one. As Westbrook continues to use a drive-first approach to his game, the Rockets are becoming more and more dangerous. Clint Capela had another strong game for the Rockets, garnering 14 points and 17 boards. Houston needs Capela to sharpen the rough edges in his game during the regular season. The game slows down in the playoffs, and the painted area of the court sees more action. Last season’s fall to the Warriors showed when scouted properly, Capela was shut down. Houston needs their big man to be a productive to beat the league’s elite teams.
Saturday’s win in Phoenix marked the first time that Harden and Westbrook both scored 30 in the same game as Rockets. The childhood buds have steadily worked through the early season growing pains, and now appear to be on the same wavelength. This may be in part to Westbrook’s improved health. Brodie’s dealt with multiple dislocated fingers that occurred during preseason, and has since played through the pain. After Saturday’s win, Russ said his hand is feeling better… maybe health is all Westbrook needed to get into a groove. Basketball’s a sport heavily reliant on hand-usage… especially for a ball-dominant guard like Westbrook. Through his first 19 games, Brodie averaged 21.7 points on 40.9% shooting, including a dismal 23.2% from downtown. Since Westbrook ditched his finger-straps, the Rockets are 6-1 in the last seven games Brodie has played in, with the lone loss coming at the buzzer to Sacramento. During this span, Russ is averaging 29.2 points on 52.2% shooting, featuring an improved 34.1% from behind the arc. This is the Westbrook Houston hoped to see when they traded for him in the offseason. Brodie is adapting to Coach D’Antoni’s offense with his improved health. A bad hand affects everything in basketball: shooting, ball-handling, passing, rebounding, defense, the list goes on. Westbrook’s ability to fight through pain over first 19 games is evidence of his rare breed of toughness.
It’s no earthquake, but movement is being made out West. Slowly.. like revelations to the next Christopher Nolan movie. LeBron and the Lakers have lost three straight after starting the season 24-3. L.A. still sits in first, but the gap is closing. The Rockets are now 20-9, grasping the third spot. Houston’s quietly moved past the Clippers and Mavs, although all three teams are within a game of each other in the loss column. The Nuggets are a game ahead with 8 losses, but Denver visits Houston on New Year’s Eve, marking another opportunity for the Rockets to make moves in the standings. Up next, Houston travels to Sacramento for stop #3 on their four-game, west-coast trip. Two weeks ago, the Kings beat the Rockets at the buzzer in Harden’s house. On Saturday night, the Beard put on another dominant performance, and showed why he controls Houston’s fate. The Rockets can advance far in the playoffs with Westbrook and a healthy squad. But, to win it all? The most difficult of tasks. Houston needs vintage Harden performances like his fourth-quarter sniping display in the desert. Westbrook adds a dimension that gives Houston their best chance to win a title in Harden’s era. But these Rockets only fly as high as the Beard takes them. And to win a championship, Houston will need Harden’s glorious days in June… when the sun’s hot.