Houston’s 3rd Quarter Surge Blasts Rockets Past Thunder, 116-112
The Return. Blasting Off. Championship Reunion.
It was a reunion of sorts on Monday night in Houston. Chris Paul’s return brought a lot of emotion into Toyota Center. The Rockets played a tribute video during a timeout, and Paul got a warm reception, one he deserved for his time in Houston. His new team, the Thunder, gave the Rockets all they could handle. Houston trailed by 10 at halftime, and it looked Paul might get the better of Houston in his return. However, the new-look Rockets blasted off in the third, outscoring the Thunder by 21 in the period, en route to a 116-112 victory. James Harden had 40 points, but his shooting struggles continued. The Beard went only 3 of 14 from beyond the arc. In contrast, the guy who’d grown a reputation for jacking up threes, Russell Westbrook, attempted only one shot from long range the entire night. Westbrook finished one assist shy of another triple-double, and his presence has had an immediate effect on Houston’s offense.
Last season, the Rockets were 27th in pace of play. So far, this season through 3 games, they’re 2nd. Mike D’Antoni can finally play at his 6 seconds or less pace, and Westbrook makes Houston an apex predator in transition. Once Harden’s shots start falling, the Rockets are going to be blowing opponents out of the water. Houston hits the road next for a four-game trip against inferior competition. And so the Beard and Brodie Era continues on Wednesday, as the squad travels to Washington to take on the Wizards.
Speaking of Washington, the Houston Astros go for their second Championship against the Washington Nationals tonight in Game 6 of the World Series. The city of Houston is arguably the sports city of the moment. The Texans have the best young quarterback in the game, in Deshaun Watson, giving them a bright future for years to come. The Rockets look poised to damage in a new era of basketball in Houston. But, what a moment it should be tonight at Minute Maid Park, the home of the Astros. Houston is having Rockets’ legends Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon and Clyde “The Glyde” Drexler open the night for the Astros. Tonight, the icons from the city’s second-ever sports championship reunite to throw out the ceremonial first pitch for Game 6 of the World Series. It should be goosebumps-inducing moment, and hopefully will inspire the Astros to win their second title. And in the future, if Harden and Westbrook can lead the Rockets back to an NBA title… who knows… maybe one night, the Beard and Brodie will be the ones throwing out the first pitch, in another Houston Championship Reunion.