James Harden: “Playing Best At the Right Time”

The Houston Rockets are heating up for the playoffs. Last night they defeated the best team in the league when looking at the previous four weeks, the Los Angeles Clippers. And Rockets didn’t just defeat them; they blew them into pieces, 135-103.

“If we’re doing what we’re supposed to do, nobody can beat us,” forward PJ Tucker told. “Anybody, don’t matter. … If we play at this level, we’re going to win.”

This was a back-to-back game for the Rockets who demolished Sacramento Kings on the previous night, 130-105. It seems that they like California at this time of year, as they exploded on the offensive part of the court. And that wasn’t because Harden dropped 50 or anything like that.

Last night, the offense was very balanced, with three players above 20 points. Harden had 31 with 7 boards and assists apiece, Chris Paul had 29 shooting threes 5 of 8, while Clint Capela ruled the paint, with 24 points and 15 boards, 7 of them under Clippers’ rim.

Right from the start, the guests set the pace which the Clippers couldn’t follow. They’ve missed only two three-points in nine attempts, scoring 39 points in the first 12 minutes. On the other side, the hosts made 26.

Unlike the game with the Kings when they fired 60 downtown shots, this time they had a higher percentage and a fewer number of attempts- 18 of 38.

At the break, Houston’s lead increased to 68-53, and it kept growing until the end of the game. Following Eric Gordon’s three at 7:04 before the end, the Rockets led 35 points, 121-86.

Doc Rivers put this in a simple sentence during a post-game press.

“They kicked our butts all around the floor,” Doc said.

James Harden was very pleased the way his team played, saying that the Rockets started pounding at the best possible time.

“It’s the best we’ve played and it’s the right time,” Harden said. “We’ve been playing well since the break. We’ve been top two defensively since the break. We have to continue that, continue to trust each other, help each other, have each other’s back.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMcYXVjzVeI&t=62s

Houston now plays totally different than a few months ago, when Harden did most of the job by himself. Back then, the injuries massacred the Rockets, who have been dealing with all sorts of adversities since the campaign began. The awful start, cutting Carmelo Anthony, CP’s injury, Capela’s injury etc, all that forced Mike D’Antoni to adjust the game, or simply put the ball in Harden’s hands.

But now, these guys are looking great. For the first time, the whole team is well and playing together, and they are looking ready to make noise in the postseason.

After two losses against the Clippers this season, Rockets got what they wanted. But this wasn’t about a plain win over a conference rival. At the moment, D’Antoni’s team is involved in an intense fight with the Portland Trail Blazers about the 3rd spot in the West. Houston has 51 wins and 28 losses, while Portland sits behind them with one victory fewer, but with a game in hand.

Rockets have three more contest until the end, in New York on Friday, at home against the Suns on Sunday, and a big derby in Oklahoma against the Thunder, this Tuesday.

Blazers have a back-to-back against the Nuggets coming up, the with the Lakers in LA on Tuesday and against the Kings at home on Wednesday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWOcZ_3tO54

If everything stays like this and Houston clinches the third spot, they will probably meet the Clippers once again in the playoffs. Right now, Doc Rivers and his boys are 6th, and it seems that it will stay like that until the end. They have a 1.5-game advantage over OKC, and are two games in front of the Spurs.

Coach D’Antoni was approached with that question after the game, but he didn’t want to talk about it too much.

“We’ll make the preparations once we know, but I don’t waste time right now.”