Help For Harden?
James Harden showed why he’s the likely MVP this season. He finished the game with 41 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists on 10-for-23 shooting. However, he didn’t get much help. Only one of his teammates had a positive offensive performance. Clint Capela finished with 22 points and nine rebounds on 9-for-11 shooting.
Other than that it was rough. Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson combined to shoot 5-for-19 from three-point range. Trevor Ariza shot 1-for-12 from the field. Sam Dekker was 1-for-5 and Patrick Beverley shot 3-for-9. It was not a good look for Harden’s supporting cast.
Looking at the box score, it seems crazy that the Rockets were ever up twenty points in this game. Of course, their offensive efficiency nose-dived during the last five minutes of the game. It was nothing sort of a total collapse.
Also, I’m still not used to seeing Mike D’Antoni without a mustache. The “seven seconds or less” Phoenix Suns made me love basketball, so I’ll forgive him for eschewing his iconic look.
Anyway, it feels like the Rockets are one player away from having a complete team. They’ve been fantastic this season, but does that supporting cast scare the Golden State Warriors or San Antonio Spurs?