James Harden posts 27 and 10 in limited time as Rockets drop finale

The Rockets had little to play for in Friday’s finale after clinching the West’s No. 4 seed before the game. It showed on the court.

The Houston Rockets had little to play for in the final game of the 2019-20 regular season after clinching the Western Conference’s No. 4 seed and their playoff matchup before tip-off. It showed on the court.

All-Star guard and MVP finalist James Harden had 27 points (56.3% FG) and 10 assists in just 26 minutes, but the Rockets were largely lethargic and uninspired on defense in Friday’s 134-96 loss (box score) to the Philadelphia 76ers (43-30). Led by 18 points and seven rebounds from Tobias Harris, the Sixers scored 71 points in just the first half and made 18-of-38 on 3-pointers (47.4%) for the game overall.

Jeff Green started and had 17 points (8-of-10 shooting, 80%) and four assists in 25 minutes, while Eric Gordon scored 13 points in 23 minutes and hit 3-of-6 from 3-point range (50%). It was a relatively encouraging shooting performance from Gordon, who is in just his second game back after missing two weeks due to a sprained left ankle.

After trailing by 24 at halftime, Houston starters outscored the Sixers by 13 over the first six-plus minutes of the third quarter to cut the lead to 11 points. At that point, having finally seen some positive momentum and not wanting to risk injury in a meaningless game, Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni pulled his regulars. From there, Philadelphia’s reserves outscored Houston’s reserves by 27 over the final quarter and a half.

The Rockets finished the shortened regular season at 44-28, tied with the Oklahoma City Thunder (their first-round playoff opponent) and the Utah Jazz. However, Houston places first among those teams in the three-way tiebreaker due to being the only division winner.

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Russell Westbrook (right quad strain) and Danuel House Jr. (left toe sprain) did not play Friday, while all other starters played approximately two-and-a-half quarters. House is expected back for Game 1 of the playoffs next Tuesday, while Westbrook could miss additional time.

The Rockets will now turn their full attention to the 2020 playoffs. Game 1 between the Rockets and Thunder will tip off at 5:30 p.m. Central on Tuesday evening, with a national broadcast on TNT and a regional version (with Houston announcers) on AT&T SportsNet Southwest.

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