No. 5: Oct. 31, 2012
Rockets 105, Pistons 96: The trade for James Harden by GM Daryl Morey just days before the 2012-13 season was indisputably Houston’s top transaction of the decade.
However, it wasn’t without questions at the time. Though Harden’s efficiency numbers were outstanding during his first three seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, many questioned how well it would translate to scale. In effect, Harden was going from the No. 3 option to the No. 1 and being asked to play closer to 40 minutes per game instead of 30.
In Harden’s first game with the Rockets, with barely a practice under his belt, the Rockets quickly got an idea of how he might look in the years ahead. In 44 minutes, Harden scored a game-high 37 points on remarkable 14-of-25 (56%) shooting efficiency, along with game-highs of 12 assists and four steals. The Rockets won on the road.
The Rockets went on to post a 45-37 record in Harden’s debut season in Houston. They made the NBA playoffs for the first time in four years.