Harden Blasts Off Late, Rockets Eclipse Suns, 115-109
Beard Burst. Triple Russ. Mixing it Up.
Devin Booker learned a lesson the Harden Way. You don’t mess with the greats, pick fights, or poke beards. James Harden and Booker got into a late scuffle in Houston’s 115-109 win over Phoenix on Saturday night. Beef took place about midway through the Beard’s Lecture, as he’d promptly decided to take the Suns to school in the fourth quarter. Harden got off to a slow start, but finished with a bang, scoring 18 of his 34 points in the final frame of action. Booker had another strong performance as he begins to warm up after a slow start to the season. Phoenix’s star guard had 35 points, and kept the Suns in the contest for most of the night. At age 23, Booker’s still young, and has the potential to be a superstar if he can become more versatile. For now, he’s still learning. In Houston, Booker learned in this league, there’s some guys you just don’t mess with, especially the Beard. And on Saturday, Professor Harden went to work, displaying for his peer an art of domination. After Phoenix tied the game at 85 apiece, the Beard scored the next 13 Rocket points to give the squad a 102-95 lead they never relinquished.
It wasn’t all fun and games for the Rockets. The Suns made this matchup interesting nearly for its entirety, boosted by a strong first quarter that put the Rockets in an early 8-point hole. Thank God for superstar teammates. Despite Harden’s strong finish, the Beard couldn’t find his shooting rhythm through the first three quarters. Russell Westbrook carried Houston to the finish line, where Harden provided the final blow to Phoenix’s chances. Russ finished with his third-straight triple-double, garnering 24 points, 14 boards, and 11 dimes. Most importantly, he didn’t take as many of the ill-advised jumpers that he loves to heave. Westbrook shot an efficient 10-for-18 from the floor, and only attempted 3 three-pointers. Brodie struggles from beyond the arc. Less is more for Westbrook and the Rockets when he attacks the rim for 2, instead of relying on tough shots from the outside for an extra point. Houston needs continued performances like Saturday’s from Brodie in order to beat the NBA’s best come playoff time.
Speaking of continued performances, Ben McLemore’s return to the bench didn’t slow his roll. Benny Mac had his best game of the year as a reserve. McLemore finished with 27 points, on a stellar 10-for-15 night from the field that featured 5 long bombs. Over the last 4 games, Benny Mac has been on fire, and seen a Ben-aissance of sorts. The last quad of games has seen B-Mac average 22.5 points on 57% shooting. McLemore is playing the best ball of his professional career, and appears to have found his perfect role here in Houston. If Benny Mac can continue to excel off the bench, the Rockets are going to be impossible to take out. One could argue mixing it up. Starting McLemore over House. But House is having a bright season, minus the injuries, and is key to Houston’s intangibles and defensive intensity. Chemistry wise, House fits better with the starting unit than he does coming off the bench. Hopefully McLemore continues his strong play, and turns string of memorable performances into a breakout-season. The Rockets will aim to distance themselves in the standings over the next several games. Their victory over the Suns was the first that begins a ten game stretch that’s one of Houston’s softest on the schedule. Boasting a record of 14-7, Rockets are joined up with the Clippers, Mavericks, and Nuggets as teams who have 7 losses in the crowded West at the moment. Houston needs to seize this moment in the schedule, and distance themselves from the pack. Up next for the Rockets: the Sacramento Kings come to H-Town. Another young team. Ready to learn a lesson… the Harden Way.