Tag: Ben McLemore

Westbrook, McLemore scorch Suns as Rockets win fourth of five

James Harden had an off shooting game, but Russell Westbrook and Ben McLemore made up for it with hot nights as the Rockets beat Phoenix.

Houston star James Harden had a relative off night Saturday versus Phoenix, but fellow guards Russell Westbrook and Ben McLemore more than made up for it with hot shooting as the host Rockets (15-7) defeated the Suns (10-12) to win for the fourth time in five games.

The four wins have come by an average margin of 18 points.

McLemore had a season-high 28 points and eight made three-pointers in Thursday’s statement win at Toronto, and he nearly matched it Saturday with 27 points on 10-of-15 shooting (66.7%). That total included five more threes as Houston pulled away late to win, 115-109 (box score).

Unlike in Toronto, McLemore came off the bench Saturday in Houston, now that usual small forward starter Danuel House Jr. is again healthy. But the change in role had no impact on his performance. The Rockets fell behind 20-9 in the opening minutes, but they regained the lead shortly after McLemore entered and led for nearly all of the final three quarters.

Meanwhile, Westbrook bounced back from a 7-of-27 shooting night (25.9%) against the Raptors to score 24 points on 10-of-18 shooting (55.6%) versus Phoenix. He also had a team-high 14 rebounds and 11 assists, representing his third consecutive triple-double.

Before the last three games, Westbrook hadn’t had a triple-double in any game for the Rockets since a Nov. 18 win over Portland.

Harden led the Rockets with 34 points, though he did so on an uncharacteristically cold 8-of-27 night (29.6%) from the field.

The NBA’s leading scorer made them count, though, as Harden scored 17 consecutive points for the Rockets in the fourth quarter after Phoenix had briefly tied the game at 85 with 9:02 left. That allowed Houston to break the game open and coast to the team’s fourth win in five games.

Clint Capela had 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Rockets in 27 minutes, and no one else was in double figures. Backup center Tyson Chandler missed the game due to illness.

The Suns were led by 35 points from guard Devin Booker, who made 11 of his 19 shots in Saturday’s game at Toyota Center.

The Rockets have an off day Sunday before finishing up this two-game homestand Monday against the Sacramento Kings (8-13).

[lawrence-related id=19314,19287,19258]

Danuel House Jr. has his own ‘flu game’ as Rockets win at Toronto

Danuel House Jr. fought through fatigue after an illness absence and scored 16 points for the Rockets in Houston’s statement win at Toronto.

It wasn’t nearly the stakes of Michael Jordan’s legendary “flu game” from the 1997 NBA Finals, but what Danuel House Jr. did for the Houston Rockets on Thursday night in Toronto after missing two games due to illness shouldn’t be forgotten any time soon.

The Rockets (14-7) badly needed a win, coming off a controversial and demoralizing loss in San Antonio where they blew a 22-point lead with barely over a quarter to play. That game also went two overtimes, which meant extreme minutes totals for rotation regulars (box score).

P.J. Tucker, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook played 52, 49, and 48 minutes, respectively. Clint Capela played 45, and Austin Rivers 40. The Rockets then arrived in Canada at 6 a.m. Wednesday morning, coming off a long international flight from South Texas.

It seemed a classic setup for a “schedule loss,” which is why the 27 minutes that House played off the bench Thursday were so important. He didn’t start, because head coach Mike D’Antoni wasn’t sure how much energy House would have. But House’s 16 points on 5-of-11 shooting (45.5%), including three made three-pointers, were critical to the game’s successful outcome, along with his dependable wing defense.

House scored 14 of his 16 points in the first quarter, which may have partly been by design. He said postgame that his biggest challenge in successfully playing through illness was trying to maintain enough energy, which made maximizing those early minutes important.

“It’s difficult,” House said of playing through illness. “I’m pretty sure a lot of people around the world know how the flu handles your body.

“It was just trying to garner some energy,” the native Houstonian explained of his challenge. “Starting off, I had enough, and I was just… searching deep within to find some more. “I’m happy my teammates were able to support me and carry me.”

When asked how he was feeling after playing, House didn’t hold back:

I’m weak, so weak. I’m really fatigued, so I can’t to get on the plane and go to sleep.

Play-by-play broadcaster Craig Ackerman said during the game broadcast that House didn’t look well on the flight to Toronto. D’Antoni noted postgame that the 6-foot-6 forward had chills during the game. But House gutted it out, and his early contributions were critical in allowing the Rockets to play with a lead for a majority of the game.

His three early makes from three-point range were also crucial in compensating for Toronto’s unique defense against James Harden. With the Raptors aggressively forcing the ball out of Harden’s hands more than 30 feet from the basket and limiting him to a season-low 11 shot attempts, role players such as House needed to take advantage of the resulting four-on-three situations — and they delivered.

“We were just trying to find the best open shot,” House said. “It didn’t matter who took the open shot, we just wanted to make sure that we all were contributing and making the right basketball play to help us win.”

“James, to his credit, didn’t force anything,” D’Antoni said postgame of Harden’s willingness to defer. “He said ‘Okay, double me and my teammates will score tonight,’ and they did it.”

Overall, Houston made 22 of its 55 three-point attempts (40%) as a team. To that point, House seemed surprised that Toronto did not revise its strategy after seeing the Rockets make some of those early looks.

When asked whether he was surprised that head coach Nick Nurse and the Raptors stayed with the strategy, House said:

Yeah. After guys get to hitting a few shots, usually coaches change their defensive schemes. I guess they felt like we were going to cool down. But when you give NBA pros open looks like that, especially the amount of time that we had, guys are going to knock it down all night.

Even though House didn’t score in the second half, he still provided value with defense and his improving ability as a secondary creator. House had three assists in his 27 minutes, including this one on a Tucker three-pointer late in the fourth quarter.

Though Ben McLemore did have a season-high 28 points starting at small forward in House’s place, D’Antoni clarified postgame that there was no debate as to the long-term starter at the position.

“Danuel needs to start,” D’Antoni said.

Depending how he feels, House could return to the starting lineup as soon as the team’s next game — which occurs Saturday against the Phoenix Suns. The Rockets have a two-game homestand coming up versus the Suns and Sacramento Kings, which should allow House to get more rest at home and hopefully complete his medical recovery.

But even while limited, House still made an obvious difference for the Rockets in Thursday’s statement win on the road over the defending NBA champions. As far as regular-season games go, circumstances made this one much bigger than most for the Rockets, and House battled through illness and the associated fatigue to help his weary teammates.

It undoubtedly earned House even more appreciation and respect from those teammates within the locker room. It was also a reminder of just how important he is — especially when healthy — to Houston’s longer-term mission of contending for an NBA title later this season.

[lawrence-related id=19258,19228]

With Harden doubled, McLemore has career night in win at Toronto

The Raptors aggressively took the ball out of James Harden’s hands, but shooters like Ben McLemore made them pay as Houston won at Toronto.

The Raptors doubled Rockets star James Harden early and often, and hot shooting from teammates such as Ben McLemore made them pay for that strategy as Houston won Thursday night at Toronto, 119-109 (box score).

The Rockets made 22-of-55 (40.0%) of their three-pointers as a team, which helped them secure a statement victory on the road against the defending NBA champion Raptors (15-6). With the win, Houston improved to 14-7 and ensured there would be no hangover or spiraling effect from Tuesday’s late collapse in San Antonio.

Role players were a big part of the story, with McLemore’s career-high 28 points leading the way — headlined by an 8-of-17 showing (47.1%) from behind the three-point arc. P.J. Tucker had 18 points and 11 rebounds, including 5-of-10 (50%) on three-pointers, while Danuel House Jr. scored 16 points in the first half alone. House came off the bench behind McLemore with slightly reduced minutes, owing to his recent illness.

Harden didn’t get to shoot often given Toronto’s aggressive defense, but he was efficient in limited chances with 23 points on 7-of-11 shooting (63.6%), including 3-of-5 (60%) on three-pointers. The 11 attempts were the fewest of any game this season for Harden, who leads the NBA in scoring and entered Thursday averaging a historic 39.5 points per game.

Meanwhile, Russell Westbrook — who frequently had to initiate Houston’s offense, given how the Raptors forced the ball out of Harden’s hands — had his first triple-double since Nov. 18 with 19 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists. His shooting slump continued with a poor 7-of-27 showing (25.9%), but he did make his points count, with over half of them (10) coming in the fourth quarter in a tight game.

Westbrook’s 13 rebounds tied Clint Capela for most on the Rockets, who collectively outrebounded the larger Raptors by a 54-45 margin. Capela’s historic streak of consecutive games with 19+ rebounds ended at eight, but big contributions from Westbrook and Tucker more than offset that.

The Raptors were led by 24 points from Pascal Siakam, but Harden’s reliable post defense helped force the Toronto star into an inefficient 9-of-22 night shooting (40.9%) from the field.

The Rockets fly back to Houston overnight, where they have a two-game homestand coming up against the Phoenix Suns (9-11) on Saturday and the Sacramento Kings (8-12) on Monday.

[lawrence-related id=19228,19213,19189,18925]

Danuel House Jr. returns to Rockets in bench role at Toronto

Forward Danuel House Jr. returned to the Houston Rockets rotation for Thursday’s game at Toronto after missing two games due to illness.

Houston Rockets forward Danuel House Jr. returned to game action Thursday in Toronto after a two-game absence due to illness.

The 26-year-old has been one of Houston’s best shooters and wing defenders this season. House averages 12.4 points in 29.7 minutes per game on 47.4% shooting overall and 44.4% from three-point range. His athleticism and length at 6-foot-6 is also important, considering that Houston’s alternative wing options are somewhat undersized.

In the game before his illness absence began, House set a career-high with 23 points in 34 minutes during a win last Wednesday versus Miami.

Though House has started most of the season for the Rockets (13-7) at small forward, he came off the bench Thursday at Toronto (15-5) behind 6-foot-3 guard Ben McLemore. The change was made because the Rockets weren’t sure how much endurance House would have in his first game coming off an illness, which he had characterized as the flu.

McLemore has played much better in the starting lineup this year, where he’s averaged 16.3 points (47.1% shooting, 39.7% on three-pointers) and 4.7 rebounds in 30.8 minutes. By contrast, the 2013 former NBA Draft lottery pick is averaging just 4.9 points (27.4% shooting, 25.0% on three-pointers) and 1.4 rebounds in 17.0 minutes per game as a reserve.

It sounds as if House will return to his usual starting role — and McLemore back to the bench — for the team’s next game, which occurs Saturday when the Phoenix Suns visit Houston.

[lawrence-related id=18925,19064]

Rockets upgrade Danuel House Jr. to questionable for Spurs game

The Houston Rockets upgraded forward Danuel House Jr. (illness) from doubtful to questionable for Tuesday’s game in San Antonio.

The Houston Rockets upgraded the status of Danuel House Jr. (illness) to questionable for Tuesday night’s game in San Antonio.

Final word on his availability should come when head coach Mike D’Antoni meets with the media 90 minutes before Tuesday’s tipoff at 7:30 p.m. Central time. House, who said over the weekend on Instagram that he was dealing with the flu, missed Saturday’s win over Atlanta and was previously listed as doubtful for Tuesday’s rivalry game in San Antonio.

Starting center Clint Capela is expected to play against the Spurs after missing two games with his own illness.

The initial target date for House’s return appeared to be the Toronto game on Thursday, when the Rockets (13-6) have a significant road test versus the defending NBA champion Raptors (15-4). Because the Rockets are flying to Toronto immediately after Tuesday’s game, D’Antoni indicated Monday that House would be with the team in San Antonio for logistics reasons — but unlikely to play.

However, House’s status seems to have improved within the past 24 hours, based on the upgrade from doubtful to questionable. At a bare minimum, it would seem to be a positive indicator for the native Houstonian’s potential availability Thursday in Toronto.

For the season as a whole, House has been one of Houston’s best shooters and wing defenders. He averages 12.4 points in 29.7 minutes per game on 47.4% shooting overall and 44.4% from three-point range. His athleticism and length at 6-foot-6 is also important, considering that Houston’s alternative options are somewhat undersized.

If House is out, former 2013 NBA Draft lottery pick Ben McLemore would again start in his place. The smaller 6-foot-3 guard was excellent in that role Saturday versus Atlanta, posting season-highs of 24 points, 13 rebounds, and six three-pointers. If House starts, McLemore returns to his usual bench spot — where he’s been much less efficient this season.

[lawrence-related id=18925,18964]

Clint Capela to return Tuesday for Rockets, while House is doubtful

Houston Rockets center Clint Capela (illness) is likely to return Tuesday in San Antonio, while forward Danuel House Jr. is doubtful.

Rockets center Clint Capela is likely to return for Tuesday’s game at division rival San Antonio after missing Houston’s last two games with an illness, head coach Mike D’Antoni said at practice Monday.

However, forward Danuel House Jr. is likely to remain out with an illness of his own, which started a few days later. Thus, he hasn’t had the same recovery time. Capela missed both Wednesday’s win over Miami and Saturday’s blowout versus Atlanta, while House missed just the second game.

Though the Rockets have not indicated the nature of the illness for either player, House said Saturday in an Instagram story that he had the flu. D’Antoni said Monday that House would likely travel with the team, which could at least give him an opportunity to play.

The Rockets (13-6) are clear favorites over the Spurs (7-14), who entered Monday at No. 12 in the Western Conference standings. However, the Spurs do have upside, as evidenced by a 10-point home win last Friday over the Kawhi Leonard and Paul George-led Los Angeles Clippers. Thus, Capela’s return is certainly a welcome development.

The Spurs could be without power forward LaMarcus Aldridge, who is averaging 18.9 points and 6.7 rebounds per game this season. The seven-time All-Star is dealing with a minor thigh injury.

In his sixth season, Capela is averaging 14.6 points, 14.7 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks in 31.9 minutes per game this year, and he’s on a historic rebounding tear with at least 19 boards in his last seven games played.

Prior to Capela’s current streak, the only NBA player to have at least 19 rebounds in seven straight games was rebounding legend and Basketball Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman, who last did it in the 1994-95 season.

The only player in Rockets franchise history to have posted averages of at least 14 points, 14 rebounds, and two blocks per game in a full season was Hakeem Olajuwon, who did it 30 years ago in the 1989-90 season.

Meanwhile, House has been one of the team’s best shooters and wing defenders. The 6-foot-6 swingman averages 12.4 points in 29.7 minutes per game on 47.4% shooting overall and 44.4% from three-point range.

If House is out, former 2013 NBA Draft lottery pick Ben McLemore would again start at small forward. McLemore was excellent in House’s place during Saturday’s win over the Hawks, posting season-highs of 24 points, 13 rebounds, and six made three-pointers.

[lawrence-related id=18925,18826,18809]

Ben McLemore continues to excel for Rockets in starting role

With a key contract date looming, swingman Ben McLemore made a strong case in Saturday’s win about his value to the Houston Rockets.

Ben McLemore went into this past week knowing it was a potentially critical one for his longer-term future with the Houston Rockets.

Based on his contract, Sunday, Dec. 1 is the date in which he begins earning more money than the partial guarantee ($500,000) on his contract. In other words, since he can now theoretically be replaced by a veteran free agent without an additional financial penalty to the team, he must prove worthy of his roster spot solely on basketball merit.

In Saturday’s blowout win over the Hawks, the 26-year-old made quite a convincing case. In 34 minutes as the starting small forward, McLemore set season-highs across the board with 24 points (64.3% shooting, 54.5% on three-pointers), 13 rebounds, and six makes from three-point range.

For the season, McLemore’s three-point shooting percentage improved from 29.1% before Saturday’s game to a more respectable 31.6% after it.

It could be randomness due to a small sample size, but one fascinating aspect of McLemore’s 2019-20 season to date is how much more effective he’s been as a starter. In five games filling in for Danuel House Jr., McLemore is averaging 17.4 points (47.5% shooting, 40.0% on three-pointers) and 5.4 rebounds in 31.6 minutes per game.

By contrast, the 6-foot-3 guard is averaging just 4.9 points and 1.4 rebounds in 17.0 minutes per game as a reserve, with shooting percentages of 27.4% overall and 25.0% from behind the free-point arc.

The University of Kansas product, who was drafted No. 7 overall in the 2013 NBA Draft, told Houston Chronicle beat writer Jonathan Feigen that he wasn’t putting much stock in his starter versus reserve splits.

Before Saturday’s game, McLemore said:

I’m not reading into it … at all. I just try to play my game, keep it simple, do everything I need to do at a high level to help my team win games. It’s just staying ready, staying the course. Any time my name is getting called, I do the best I can.

For the season as a whole, McLemore has seemingly found ways to help the Rockets — even when his shots aren’t falling. His defensive rating of 104.4 and overall net rating of 14.5 are both the team’s best among regular rotation players to have averaged over 10 minutes per game.

Head coach Mike D’Antoni said Saturday that House and starting center Clint Capela, who each missed the Hawks game with illnesses, were trending well for potential returns in Houston’s next game on Tuesday in San Antonio. If that happens, McLemore would return to a bench role.

It remains to be seen if McLemore’s shooting numbers will bounce back as a reserve. But even if for some odd reason they don’t, he may still have value to the team as a fill-in starter for House, who has already missed five games with an assortment of injuries and ailments.

Assistant coach Elston Turner told The Athletic‘s Kelly Iko last week that he believed House’s aggressive and physical style as a defender contributed to his propensity for injury. Turner told Iko:

House is just a young guy with energy. He’s still trying to make his name in this league. He’s really good at blowing up situations, which we try to encourage, like dribble handoffs and pin-downs. He’ll run through it and not even let them hand the ball off.

“He’s good at it; that’s why he stays hurt all the time,” Turner said, chuckling to himself.

Besides his current illness, House has suffered minor injuries to his back, shoulder, and ankle over the season’s first 19 games.

There’s probably a small-sample-size component to both House’s absences and McLemore’s subpar splits as a reserve. But even if for some reason there isn’t, then McLemore has still presented the Rockets with legitimate reasons to keep him around as an insurance policy at small forward. That’s especially significant with guard Eric Gordon still expected to miss several more weeks due to knee surgery.

Entering the week, the Rockets had lost three straight games — and McLemore’s 0-for-6 showing on three-pointers in the final game versus Dallas had many questioning the stability of his roster spot, given the looming Dec. 1 date in which his salary surpasses his partial guarantee.

But the Rockets (13-6) finished the week with back-to-back wins, and in House’s absence, McLemore was an huge part of the second victory with season-high numbers across the board. It came at just the right time for the team as a whole, and perhaps for McLemore individually, as well.

[lawrence-related id=18646,18592,17754]

Clint Capela, Danuel House Jr. doubtful for Saturday due to illness

Clint Capela and Danuel House Jr. (ill) are doubtful, with Tyson Chandler and Ben McLemore likely to start in their place for the Rockets.

The Houston Rockets could be without two starters for Saturday’s home game versus the Atlanta Hawks.

Starting center Clint Capela and small forward Danuel House Jr. are each doubtful due to illness, head coach Mike D’Antoni said at practice Friday. Capela also missed Wednesday’s win over Miami for the same reason.

The Rockets (12-6) are significant favorites over the Hawks (4-14), who entered Friday tied for the worst record in the Eastern Conference. That could present the team with an opportunity to be more conservative in their treatment of injured or sick players.

Veteran Tyson Chandler would start in Capela’s place if the 25-year-old is unable to go — just as he did Wednesday. Young prospects Isaiah Hartenstein and Gary Clark could also figure into the mix.

Clark added 12 points and eight rebounds in 28 impressive minutes off the bench Wednesday, while Hartenstein had 16 rebounds in 30 minutes on Nov. 16 when Capela missed a game in Minnesota.

In his sixth season, Capela is averaging 14.6 points, 14.7 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks in 31.9 minutes per game this year, and he’s on a historic rebounding run with at least 19 boards in his last seven games played. Those are large shoes to fill for any of his potential replacements.

Prior to Capela’s current streak, the only NBA player to have at least 19 rebounds in seven straight games was rebounding legend and Basketball Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman, who last did it in the 1994-95 season.

The only player in Rockets franchise history to have posted averages of at least 14 points, 14 rebounds, and two blocks per game in a single season was Hakeem Olajuwon, who did it 30 years ago in the 1989-90 season.

Meanwhile, Ben McLemore would likely start in the place of House. McLemore scored 14 points and hit 4-of-9 (44.4%) from three-point range when House missed a game last Friday at the Los Angeles Clippers.

But at 6-foot-3, McLemore isn’t as long or as versatile defensively as the 6-foot-6 House. House also has the advantage as a shooter, with the native Houstonian connecting on 42.4% of his three-point attempts this season — as compared to 29.1% for McLemore.

Further down the bench, starting McLemore for House could also present a rotation opportunity for veteran forward Thabo Sefolosha or rookie guard Chris Clemons to help fill McLemore’s usual bench minutes.

[lawrence-related id=18777,18753]

Rockets players, coaches give back to Houston in Thanksgiving week

Rockets coaches and players including Mike D’Antoni, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook held Thanksgiving charity events in Houston.

The 2019-20 NBA schedule has been kind to the Houston Rockets over the week of Thanksgiving, including on Thursday’s Thanksgiving Day.

The Rockets are in the midst of a three-game homestand at Toyota Center this week, with two days off in between games on Sunday, Wednesday, and Saturday. That break allows the Rockets to have both a practice day (Friday) and a true off day (Thursday) between games.

Since the Rockets will be in San Francisco on Christmas Day to face the Golden State Warriors, the team’s players and coaches undoubtedly appreciate this rare in-season opportunity to spend one of the two major end-of-year U.S. holidays at home with family and/or friends.

Best of all, because all three games this week are in Houston, the team hasn’t lost any time due to travel. That’s allowed them to not only spend time with loved ones at home, but also to give back to the broader community with a series of charitable events.

Here’s a roundup of what the organization’s key stakeholders have done across Houston this holiday week.

James Harden

Mike D’Antoni

Russell Westbrook

Danuel House Jr. and Gerald Green

Ben McLemore

The Rockets return to practice Friday and then to game action Saturday versus Atlanta, in what will be the debut of their new City uniforms and the “Space City Saturdays” theme for the remainder of the season.

[lawrence-related id=18777,18713]

Ben McLemore explains the value of James Harden as a leader

On Monday’s off day, reserve guard Ben McLemore explained on Instagram what makes Rockets star James Harden so valuable as a leader.

With the Houston Rockets off Monday, reserve guard Ben McLemore took to Instagram to praise the leadership of superstar James Harden.

McLemore is relatively new to the Rockets, having just signed with the team in late July. But he’s already gained an appreciation for Harden, a former NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) who is leading the league in scoring at 37.9 points per game this season.

Regarding Harden, McLemore wrote:

Succeeding in this league takes a lot more than talent and a good work ethic. It takes leadership. Someone to step up and selflessly devote time and energy in your progression. As good as James is on the court, he’s just as good at inspiring and bettering those around him. Forever grateful for my brother looking out for me and helping me achieve what I know I can. Foot on the gas, no stopping now… Salute, brother!

It’s a critical week personally for McLemore, who as of next Sunday will begin earning more money than the value of his contract guarantee. Thus, he needs to give the Rockets ample reason to keep him around.

[lawrence-related id=18592]

But over the course of the first 17 games, the team seems to be impressed with the 6-foot-3 guard’s contributions. His minutes per game jumped from 7.3 in October to 24.2 in November, and he started four games when usual starting small forward Danuel House Jr. was injured.

For the season as a whole, McLemore is averaging 7.3 points in 20.2 minutes per game. His 29.6% clip on three-pointers is down significantly from 41.5% last season in Sacramento, but the Rockets have still largely succeeded with McLemore on the court. To that point, his defensive rating of 103.9 and overall net rating of 10.9 are both the best of any current rotation player in Houston.

Whether it’s this week or down the road, McLemore eventually needs to make a greater proportion of his shots in head coach Mike D’Antoni‘s three-point-heavy offense to be a permanent rotation fixture.

But after largely being viewed as a bust relative to his No. 7 overall selection in the 2013 NBA Draft by the Kings, the athletic 26-year-old has a golden opportunity now on a winning team and probable title contender in Houston (11-6) to reshape his career narrative.

His relationship and chemistry with Harden certainly can’t hurt.

[lawrence-related id=18592,17754,17107]