Houston star James Harden had his best rebounding game of the season and his top 3-point shooting performance in weeks as the undersized Rockets held off Kristaps Porziņģis and Dallas Mavericks in a 128-121 victory (box score) Friday night at Toyota Center.
It’s the fourth win in six games for the host Rockets (30-18), who jumped Dallas (29-19) in the Western Conference standings with the victory. Harden led the way with a game-high 35 points and 16 rebounds.
With starting center Clint Capela again out with a heel injury, Houston coach Mike D’Antoni went back to his small lineup by starting usual power forward P.J. Tucker at center, and then inserting Danuel House Jr. to Tucker’s vacated spot. Thabo Sefolosha spelled both off the bench.
The Rockets are now 2-0 with the undersized House-Tucker front line in Capela’s absence, having also won on Monday in Utah.
Mike D'Antoni says the Rockets will continue with this small-ball starting unit with Clint Capela.
"We're 2-0 with it. It is what it is." pic.twitter.com/kBoezTZdOV
— Salman Ali (@SalmanAliNBA) February 1, 2020
Danuel House on the small-unit: "It's real fun though. The ball has a lot of energy and the defensive intensity is super high, so I enjoy it." pic.twitter.com/MimD5wj3Lz
— Salman Ali (@SalmanAliNBA) February 1, 2020
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On Monday, reserve seven-footer Isaiah Hartenstein played a few first-half minutes. On Friday, he did not, making the Rockets the first team since 1963 to play an entire NBA game with no player above 6-foot-6.
Given that dynamic, the 7-foot-3 Porziņģis took advantage with 35 points and 12 rebounds. Overall, Dallas won the rebounding battle, 52-37.
Per Elias, the Rockets are the first team to play an entire game without a player listed taller than 6'6" since the Knicks on Jan. 31, 1963 against the Chicago Zephyrs in a neutral-site game in Syracuse.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) February 1, 2020
James Harden: "Coach made the decision to go small and switch and it worked. There's a lot of mistakes that we can correct. We got to watch film. I liked our aggressiveness defensively… It is (a fun way to play). It's challenging, especially when you have to guard bigger guys." pic.twitter.com/aJ4pWPDYMW
— Salman Ali (@SalmanAliNBA) February 1, 2020
But the added floor spacing paid major dividends for Houston on the other end, with the Rockets making 21 of 45 shots (46.7%) from 3-point range as a team. Of Harden’s 35 points, over half of them came courtesy of a 6-of-14 showing (42.9%) on 3-pointers.
Harden entered the Dallas game shooting just 22.9% on 3-pointers during his recent 10-game slump. Friday’s result is just the second time in the last 11 games for the former MVP and the league’s current scoring leader to exceed 35% from behind the arc.
Mike D'Antoni on small unit (continued): "We're just trying to open it up for James and Russ to get to the rim so we can get layups. Those are the best shots. That lineup permits that." pic.twitter.com/ssFL39A3q0
— Salman Ali (@SalmanAliNBA) February 1, 2020
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The floor spacing may have also helped Harden and the Rockets avoid turnovers, with Houston recording only six as a team for the entire game.
Big win tonight as the Rockets down the Mavs, 128-121 and leap frog them in the standings. Harden had his best game in awhile scoring 35 & grabbing a season best 16rebs. Russ added 32. EG scored 17. 5 Rox scored in doub-figs. They hit 21 3's on 45 attempts & committed just 7 TO's
— Craig Ackerman (@ca_rockets) February 1, 2020
In addition to his shooting on offense, Harden also helped Houston overcome its lack of size on defense with a season-high 16 rebounds and a game-high four steals. Of those 16 rebounds, 14 were defensive.
Harden’s final 3-pointer iced the game late in the fourth quarter, putting the Rockets up by seven points with just over a minute left.
Westbrook to Harden for the dagger, as the #Rockets hold off the Mavs and improve to 30-18 on the season! #OneMission pic.twitter.com/zNccrmU8ih
— SportsTalk 790 (@SportsTalk790) February 1, 2020
Russell Westbrook had 32 points and a team-high nine assists. Of the 128 points, over half came between Houston’s All-Star backcourt, which had 67 combined. Eric Gordon made his second consecutive start at small forward and added 17 points, including three 3-pointers.
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Russell Westbrook on attacking defenses with a spaced floor: "If it's one-on-one, I can get anywhere I want. There's nothing nobody can do. I can get to any spot on the floor. My job is to make the right play or finish it at the basket." pic.twitter.com/ZfOWZVRvkE
— Salman Ali (@SalmanAliNBA) February 1, 2020
The Mavs were missing star guard Luka Doncic, who was out with an ankle injury and is expected to miss several more games. Backcourt mate Tim Hardaway Jr. made four of the Mavs’ 14 total 3-pointers, but that wasn’t enough to keep up with the hot-shooting Rockets.
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The Rockets return to action Sunday afternoon for the second game of a three-game homestand. In a 1 p.m. local time tip-off, the Rockets will host prized rookie Zion Williamson and the suddenly surging New Orleans Pelicans (20-29), who have now won three straight games.
Sunday’s game will be nationally televised on ABC.
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The Beard ⤵️
🏀 35 PTS
➡️ 6 AST
💪 16 REB pic.twitter.com/BqQKAuXEz5— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) February 1, 2020
Westbrook ⤵️
🏀 32 PTS
➡️ 9AST
💪 6 REB pic.twitter.com/gO3wmGHXum— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) February 1, 2020