In their first game together as part of a new-look Houston backcourt, James Harden and John Wall combined for 55 points, 17 assists, and 12 rebounds as the Rockets (1-2) rallied to defeat Sacramento, 122-119 (box score). The Kings were led by 22 points from De’Aaron Fox, but thanks largely to Wall’s perimeter defense, he shot just 9-of-23 (39.1%) overall.
For Wall, a five-time NBA All-Star, it was his first regular-season game since Dec. 26, 2018. He missed the remainder of the 2018-19 season and all of 2019-20 while rehabilitating an Achilles injury, and he was forced to sit out Houston’s first two games this season to quarantine.
Now 30 years old, Wall did show some rust and/or nerves with five turnovers and six missed 3-pointers in eight attempts. But he clearly looked healthy and explosive otherwise, as evidenced by his line of 22 points, six rebounds, and a team-high nine assists. “Other than my five turnovers and probably, what, six missed threes, having 22, nine, and six is not bad for my first game in two years,” Wall said postgame. “I can pat myself on the back for that. I know I’ll be even better for the next game.”
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“He was extremely aggressive, making plays,” Harden said of Wall’s performance. “Defensively, getting after it. He looked really, really good, especially [having] not played in almost two years. Once we get a rhythm, and guys get into their roles, and find out where they best fit the team, we’ll be even better. But I’m happy for the last six minutes. When it was time to get stops, we did, and on offense, we executed.”
Harden when asked about the dynamic of him playing with John Wall. Doesn't sound like a guy who feels he'll be gone soon. #Rockets pic.twitter.com/efnDqm2NEy
— Don Dougan (@don_dougan) January 1, 2021
Meanwhile, Harden — an eight-time All-Star and the NBA’s three-time defending scoring champion — scored a game-high 33 points and dished out eight assists. Most notably, he orchestrated a 12-2 run in the closing four minutes, which lifted Houston from a four-point deficit with under four minutes left to a six-point lead with about a minute to play.
Of that 12-2 run, 10 of the points were scored by Harden, and the other two came on a Harden assist to Christian Wood (21 points, 12 rebounds) for a dunk. “It was time to go win the game,” Harden said of the burst.
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The surprising Kings, who had defeated the Nuggets twice and also the Suns, fell to 3-2 with the New Year’s Eve setback against the Rockets.
Houston and Sacramento will meet again Saturday on the same Toyota Center court, as part of the NBA’s plan to minimize travel this season during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tipoff is set for 4:00 p.m. Central.
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