When the 2020-21 season began, the Houston Rockets were dealing with widespread quarantines and a disgruntled superstar in James Harden who wanted to be traded to a different NBA team.
Harden ultimately got his wish with the Jan. 13 trade that sent him to Brooklyn. But that transaction seems to have helped Houston, as well, by stabilizing the roster and leading to improved chemistry.
Entering Tuesday, the Rockets had the No. 1 defense in the NBA since the Harden trade. They’ve won seven of 10 games overall, including the last six in a row. That’s quite a turnaround from their 3-6 start to the season with Harden, with a net defensive rating of No. 22 in the league.
In recent days, Houston’s offense has shown signs of matching their defensive excellence. They’ve had a 48-point quarter in each of their last two games, which is tied for the third-most points in a single quarter in franchise history. In Monday’s 136-106 win at Oklahoma City, the Rockets tied the all-time NBA record with 11 made 3-pointers in one quarter and eventually set a new franchise record with 28 treys as a team.
“I think you see the team coming together, as far as our unselfish play,” head coach Stephen Silas said after Monday’s blowout victory.
Veterans DeMarcus Cousins and John Wall, who have nine previous All-Star selections between them, accounted for nine of those 28 triples on Monday night. When asked postgame about the team’s turnaround, each alluded to the cohesiveness of the group that Harden left behind.
Just being with the guys is dope. We all enjoy playing with each other. Just look at our team now, from what it was at the beginning of the season. When guys score, when guys make a play, everybody is standing up and clapping.
We’ve got to keep this same energy, even if we lose a game or two. That’s when you’re building as a team, when you can come back from being down, or being in a close game that you might lose or might win. But when we’re all out there cheering for each other and helping the next person be up, that’s all that matters. Every given night, we could have a different guy leading us in scoring. But the way we defend at a high level, that’s going to help us on the offensive end.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EX5Ll-rAQKg
It’s a good group. Everybody is bought in. Everybody cares about each other. We just enjoy playing basketball, enjoy seeing each other successful, and enjoy getting the W. And knowing that’s the common goal throughout the group, you can’t ask for more. It’s fun to play basketball, it’s fun to come to work. That’s just setting a good work environment, and just a good chemistry throughout the team. I think it’s great.
We’re holding each other accountable. We’re able to talk to one another. We’re able to criticize one another and accept it in a positive way. Kudos to the entire group, from the coaching staff to the guys in the locker room. I feel like guys are on the same page, and at the end of the day, it’s about winning games.
We faced some rough waters in the beginning, just trying to get everybody on the same page. And uh, you know, separating the people that wanted to be here and not be here. Now we’re able to just focus on basketball and getting better every day. That’s what we’re doing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPf0gQsSzXo
While neither Wall nor Cousins mentioned Harden by name in their comparisons to earlier in the season and players who wanted to “not be here,” the references were clear. On the day of Harden’s Jan. 13 trade, Cousins called out what he viewed as disrespect:
The disrespect [from Harden] started way before any interview. Just his approach the training camp, showing up the way he did, the antics off the court. The disrespect started way before. This isn’t something that all of a sudden happened last night. …
The other 14 guys in the locker room have done nothing to him. For us to be on the receiving end of disrespectful comments and antics… it’s completely unfair to the rest of the guys in the locker room.
The first game between the Rockets and Harden’s Nets is scheduled for Wednesday, March 3 at Toyota Center in downtown Houston. While the Rockets (10-9) are clearly taking every game seriously, it certainly seems that there could be some extra motivation for that matchup.
As for now, Wall, Cousins, and the rest of the Rockets will look to make it seven in a row in Wednesday’s rematch against the Thunder. Tipoff from Chesapeake Energy Arena is set for 7:00 p.m. Central.
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