Saturday, March 3, 2018

J-Speaks: Soaring Rockets


On Wednesday night, perennial All-Star, and leading candidate for league MVP this season James Harden performed had the talk about move of the season when he executed the most incredible crossover that put the Los Angeles Clippers Wesley Johnson on the seat of his pants as Harden stared at him for a couple of seconds and then drilled a three-pointer. While that move was the talk across the sports world from talk radio to television shows and even twitter, it holds no weight to what the boys from “Clutch City” have done of late with their latest winning streak. 
With their 105 -92 win at the Clippers (33-28) on Wednesday night on ESPN, the Top Seed in the West, the Houston Rockets (48-13) won their 14th straight game and complete a perfect 12-0 February. 
While Harden’s juke move was all the craze of the sports world, the Rockets took a part a Clippers team fighting for that No. 8 and final playoff spot in the crowded West, got lambasted by the Rockets 34-12 in the first quarter and they never looked back. 
The Rockets, who took over the No. 1 Seed in the West with their 10th win in succession with a 100-91 win on Valentine’s night versus the Sacramento Kings (19-43), which was coupled with the defending champion Golden State Warriors (49-14) falling at the Portland Trail Blazers (36-26) 123-117 on ESPN right before the All-Star break and have continued their hot streak. 
Their 14th win in succession matched the 14 straight they accumulated from Nov. 16-Dec. 18, 2017, the Rockets remained ½ a game ahead of the defending champs for the No. 1 Seed in the West and No. 1 overall record in “The Association.” 
This night put on full display what the Rockets have shown on both ends of the floor this entire season. 
Offensively, they made three-pointers at a high rate, even though on this night it was 13 for 43 (30.2 percent) and shot just 42.4 percent overall from the field on the night with just 21 assists. They did have 22 fast break points and were 20 for 24 from the free throw line. 
The difference with this team has been what they did at the defensive end. In that dismal first quarter for the Clippers, they started 3 for 19 from the field, finishing the opening stanza going 5 for 22 shooting, for just 22.7 percent. Committed 11 of their 18 turnovers on the night in the opening frame and trailed by as many as 27 in the first period. 
While the Rockets were out-rebounded overall 53-49, they out-rebounded the home standing Clippers 10-4 on the offensive glass. Registered five block shots; scored 22 points off those 18 turnovers, with 11 of those miscues being steals and held the Clippers to six fast break points. 
“Offensively we can score,” Harden who had 17 of his 25 points in the first quarter said after the win. “That ‘s not the problem. Defensively when we’re able to communicate and move our bodies and help each other out, we’re at another level.” 
The Rockets displayed that high level of defense two night earlier in Salt Lake City, UT where they simply put the squeeze on the Jazz’s offense. 
In game where the Rockets had a tough time manufacturing any offense to think in the first half scoring a season-low 39 points in the opening half, they turned up the screws defensively holding the Jazz (32-30) to 41 points in the second half in their 96-85 win this past Monday night, their 13th in a row. 
The Jazz were just 7 for 29 from three-point range, and rookie sensation Donovan Mitchell, who had 16 points in the game was just 6 for 15 overall from the floor, including an eye soaring 1 for 9 from long range. Jae Crowder, who had 12 points off the bench, was just 2 for 8 from three-point land. Joe Ingles one of the best three-point shooters in the league this season was just 1 for 5 and 1 for 6 overall from the field. 
For the game, the Jazz shot just 43.7 percent from the floor; were outscored in the paint 50-44; committed 22 turnovers, with 15 of those being steals that resulted 20 Rocket points.
Offensively, James Harden led the way with 26 points, to go along with 11 rebounds, five assists and four steals, but it was the offensive output of forward Luc Mbah a Moute, who had 15 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter that lifted the Rockets to the victory. 
The Rockets new addition in free agency this off-season, who is more known for his defense exploits saw how the Denver Nuggets (34-28) were showing him no respect for him offensively by sticking Nikola Jokic on him in their Sunday night tilt, that the Rockets won 119-114. While that threw his focus off that evening, he took full advantage of it on the back end of the back-to-back. 
“I watched the tapes this morning and saw how I could exploit it if ever that kind of matchup happened again…. The opportunity presented itself so I was already prepared for it and took advantage,” Mbah a Moute, who was 7 for 7 from the field said after the win.
He also said, “I just slowed down and took what the defense gave me.” “It’s always fun to make them pay for a mismatch and make shots.”
To bring into context the offensive struggles of the Rockets at the Jazz on Monday night, While Harden shot 8 for 13 from the floor, and 9 for 12 from the charity stripe, he was just 1 for 5 from three-point land. All-Star guard Chris Paul was 5 for 13 shooting for 15 points, seven assists, six boards and three steals. P.J. Tucker who started at center in the absence of Most Improved Player candidate Clint Capela was 0 for 7 shooting, including missing all four of his three-point attempts. Starting forward Trevor Ariza was just 3 for 13 overall shooting, with all of his points coming from three-point range on 3 for 9. 
Ariza managed to hit two of his three triples in the third quarter that put the Rockets on top 59-57, as they outscored the Jazz 31-19 in the third, overcoming a 15-point first half deficit. 
“This is probably our best win of the year because we were short-handed, and we grind it out. I didn’t know how we were going to win, and they figured out a way,” Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni, whose squad with without Capela and Eric Gordon due to illness; forward Ryan Anderson to a groin injury and newest addition Brandan Wright because of a sore right knee said. 
This is a game that in years past the Rockets may not have comeback to even give themselves a chance to win, especially with all the fire power that was shelved in their Monday night victory. The difference is that they play defense, which the Jazz, who were swept 4-0 by the Rockets this season and the Clippers on Wednesday night found out.
Above all, the Houston Rockets have a single, non-deterring focus to win night in and night out no matter who they trout out on the hardwood. It is that kind of belief that they will need going forward, especially in the coming days. 
They have a huge matchup on Saturday night versus the current No. 2 Seed in the Eastern Conference the Boston Celtics (44-19) at 8:30 p.m. on ABC. That will be followed by a visit to the Oklahoma City Thunder (37-27) Tuesday night on TNT, who they are 0-2 against so far this season. A tangle at the Milwaukee Bucks on the back end of a back-to-back on Wednesday night; and then a trip to the East leading Toronto Raptors (44-17) on Friday.  
As Coach D’Antoni put it after the Rockets win at the Jazz about their motivation, “Hey, you know your alpha dogs are hungry. They play. They love to play basketball. James (Harden) loves to play, so he’s ready to go every night he can….and the chemistry’s really good.” 
 Paul concurred with his head coach’s thought by saying about what continues to push him and his Rockets teammates, “Competition. When you’re competitive it doesn’t matter.” “You don’t need somebody else to get you going. We’ve got a lot of competitive people over here, whether it’s shooting games, whether it’s tick tac toe…we’ve got a competitive group. Who cares who we’re playing or what’s happening? We want to win.” 
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