Tag: Houston Rockets

Clint Capela continues to make history with rebounding streak

Houston Rockets center Clint Capela is currently the first NBA player in over 15 seasons to grab 20+ rebounds in five consecutive games.

Friday’s nationally televised game between the Rockets and Clippers in Los Angeles is a showdown of stars, with perennial Most Valuable Player (MVP) candidates James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard, and Paul George capturing the most attention.

But don’t forget about Houston center Clint Capela.

The 25-year-old has a chance to make history Friday by becoming the first NBA player in nearly 25 years to grab 20 or more rebounds in six consecutive games. The last player to do that was Dennis Rodman, who had a seven-game streak beginning in February 1995.

Capela’s current streak of five games with 20+ rebounds is tied for the third-longest of any player since the 1983-84 season, which is the furthest back the NBA.com database goes. The last player to do that was Ben Wallace, who did so back in March 2003.

Within the Rockets franchise, he’s the first player with five straight 20+ rebound games since Hall of Famer Elvin Hayes in the 1970-71 season.

On Twitter and in interviews, the mild-mannered Capela is remaining humble through his historic run.

“I focus on defense, make stops,” Capela told the Houston Chronicle‘s Jonathan Feigen. “I feel when I put my energy on that part, it’s better for us. This is my main focus.”

It’s been a remarkable turnaround for Capela, who through six games was averaging just 8.0 rebounds in 26.3 minutes per game. Not coincidentally, the Rockets were a disappointing 3-3 in that stretch. In a pair of weekend losses on Nov. 1 and Nov. 3 at Brooklyn and Miami, head coach Mike D’Antoni played Capela less than 43 minutes combined. 

We also learned shortly after that stretch that Capela suffered an offseason shoulder injury with the Switzerland men’s basketball national team, which may have contributed to his slow start.

Since then, though, the Rockets (11-4) have won eight of nine games — and Capela has gone from 8.0 rebounds in 26.3 minutes to averages of 18.6 rebounds in 34.9 minutes per game. He’s also become a better shot blocker, with his blocks rising from 1.7 in the first six games to 2.6 per game over his last seven (he missed two games with a head injury).

In those first six games, the Rockets as a team ranked No. 21 in the league in total rebounds (44.0). In the nine games since, Houston has surged to 49.2 rebounds per game, which ranks third in the league and has corresponded with the uptick in their win-loss record.

As for the Clippers (10-5), they enter Friday’s game on a three-game winning streak, and they’re likely to also be out for revenge after last week’s loss in Houston. For the Rockets to compete on the road with a perceived Western Conference contender, they’ll probably need Capela to win his matchups versus Los Angeles big man such as Ivica Zubac, JaMychal Green, and Montrezl Harrell.

Then again, Capela has won the vast majority of his personal matchups over this current run — and he’s got a shot at modern history with another 20-rebound performance. That should give him ample motivation to keep the streak going.

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Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Clippers odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Friday’s Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Clippers sports betting odds and lines, with NBA picks, tips and best bets.

The Houston Rockets (11-4) face the Los Angeles Clippers (10-5) Friday night with tip-off coming just after 10:30 pm ET at Staples Center. We analyze the Rockets-Clippers odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.

Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.

Rockets at Clippers: Key injuries

Rockets:

  • C Tyson Chandler (rest) probable

Clippers:

  • SG Landry Shamet (ankle) out

Rockets at Clippers: Odds, lines, picks, and betting tips

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 8:15 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Clippers 120, Rockets 114

Moneyline (ML)

The Rockets are 11-4 on the moneyline while Los Angeles is 10-5. James Harden and Russell Westbrook clash with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard in a star-studded matchup.

Our pick is with the CLIPPERS (-200) but very, very close.

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on Los Angeles returns a profit of $5.00.

Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Neither team has covered spreads well this year. Los Angeles is 8-7 overall against the spread while Houston is just 7-8. Houston on the road is a slightly worse 3-5 while Los Angeles is 7-3 at home and exceeds projections by 5.3 points per contest.

This makes the choice easy. Back LOS ANGELES (-4.5, -115). The Clippers could come close to or exceed 120 in this tilt and Los Angeles only needs to win by five or more points.

Over/Under (O/U)

The projected total is set at 226.5. It seems like a low number given both teams’ propensity to score. Houston averages a ton of points while Los Angeles can top 120 routinely. It will be dicey but the -115 for the OVER is a manageable number.

Want some action on this game? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @ChrisWasselDFS and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Danuel House Jr. could miss time for Rockets with shoulder injury

Houston forward Danuel House Jr. (shoulder injury) could miss Friday’s showdown between the Rockets and Clippers in Los Angeles.

The Houston Rockets might not have forward Danuel House Jr. available for Friday’s nationally televised game at the Los Angeles Clippers after the 26-year-old injured his left shoulder in Denver.

Houston Chronicle beat writer Jonathan Feigen initially reported Thursday afternoon that House was doubtful to play in Los Angeles. In postgame comments late Wednesday, head coach Mike D’Antoni had said House would be re-evaluated Thursday.

The Rockets would likely start Ben McLemore at small forward in House’s absence, just as they did last week when House missed three games with a bruised back. At 6-foot-3, McLemore is considerably smaller than the 6-foot-6 House and offers less defensive versatility.

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However, a later update from the team identified House as “questionable” rather than doubtful, which could offer more hope.

Feigen said D’Antoni referred to House as “doubtful” prior to Thursday’s practice in Los Angeles, but the subsequent upgrade in status could indicate that he responded well to treatment.

Either way, the native Houstonian appears to again have a short-term injury without too much long-term concern.

House’s latest issue occurred during Wednesday’s second half in Denver, when he ran into a screen set by 284-pound Nikola Jokic.

House flexed his arm for several minutes on Houston’s bench, hoping he would be able to return to the game. However, he eventually left the court, and the team announced that he would not return.

Over an hour later in the postgame locker room, reporters said House still appeared to be in considerable discomfort.

In 12 games this year, House is averaging 11.2 points and 4.8 rebounds in 28.9 minutes per game, and he’s been one of Houston’s top three-point shooters at 44.6%. His defensive rating of 104.0 is among the best of any player in the current Rockets rotation.

House’s potential absence could be critical against the Clippers, who are led by a pair of very long forwards in All-Stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. If available, House would likely cover one of those players, with the other going to P.J. Tucker.

The Rockets did defeat the Clippers last week in Houston, even with House out. However, George did not play in that game.

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Nuggets coach Malone compares James Harden to Michael Jordan

Nuggets coach Michael Malone compared Rockets guard James Harden to Michael Jordan, adding that Harden is the hardest player to prepare for.

Both before and after Wednesday’s game between the Nuggets and Rockets, Denver coach Michael Malone showered praise on Houston guard James Harden — who he compared to Michael Jordan and says is the toughest player he’s ever had to prepare for in 19 NBA seasons.

Via Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, here’s what the fifth-year head coach said before the game in Denver:

I think he’s seen every single conceivable defensive coverage and he demands that kind of attention. He’s a great player. I’ve been in the league 19 years and no disrespect to all the other great players in those 19 years, but he’s, I think, the toughest guy to prepare for.

He can hit the three. He gets to the foul line a ton. He makes his teammates better. He can create his own shot. If you want to force him left, he’s going to beat you. If you want to force him right, he can still beat you. He’s one of those guys when you’re watching film, it’s like you’re watching a horror movie.

Those comments mesh with NBA.com‘s annual GM survey for the 2019-20 season, in which the league’s identified Harden as the clear frontrunner in which current player forces the most adjustments.

Even with all that praise, though, Malone’s team did a fairly good job of limiting Harden during Wednesday’s 105-95 home victory by the Nuggets (10-3). It was the first time all season for the Rockets (11-4) to be held below 100 points.

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Harden did make 50% of his shots and three-pointers, and he also had seven assists. But the Nuggets used a unique and unpredictable scheme of traps and double-teams at different points of the shot clock from possession to possession to force him into eight turnovers.

They were also successful in limiting Harden’s overall volume, with his 16 shot attempts the fewest of any game this month in which the former Most Valuable Player (MVP) has played at least 30 minutes.

“Let’s be honest, you don’t guard James Harden just one on one,” Malone said postgame. “We threw multiple looks at him, multiple defenders at him. The goal was to get the ball out of his hands.”

As of Thursday, the Nuggets now rank No. 8 in the NBA in net defensive rating. For Harden in particular, lanky 6-foot-7 forward Torrey Craig appeared to give him the most trouble.

Harden wasn’t in the mood for giving Denver’s defense too much credit after the game, though, instead focusing on what he viewed as mistakes in execution by his team.

Though his scheme was fairly successful on Wednesday, the 48-year-old Malone remained very complimentary of Harden throughout his postgame remarks, and even brought in a comparison to Jordan — viewed by many as the best player in NBA history.

While it was a relatively down night overall, Harden still leads the NBA in scoring by a healthy margin at 38.4 points per game, with Giannis Antetokounmpo in second at 30.5 points.

That gap of 7.9 points is approximately equivalent to the gap between Antetokounmpo and Boston’s Kemba Walker, who ranks 17th in the league in scoring at 22.6 per game.

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Denver defense grinds out Rockets as winning streak ends at eight

James Harden and Russell Westbrook had 52 combined points, but Houston missed 26 threes and had its 8-game winning streak snapped in Denver.

James Harden and Russell Westbrook combined for 52, but the Houston Rockets failed to score 100 points as a team for the first time in the 2019-20 season and had their eight-game winning streak snapped in Wednesday’s 105-95 loss (box score) in Denver.

Led by 27 points and 12 rebounds from big man Nikola Jokic and 60 paint points by the team as a whole, the Nuggets improved to 10-3 with the victory. The Rockets fell to 11-4 with the loss.

Harden led the Rockets with 27 points on 8-of-16 shooting and 4-of-8 on three-pointers, and he also had seven rebounds and seven assists. However, his eight turnovers led the team’s uncharacteristic 20 giveaways, with the Rockets struggling to counter a unique series of traps and hedges by the Nuggets against Houston ball-handlers.

Westbrook had 25 points and five assists, but his 2-of-9 (22.2%) showing from three-point range felt appropriate on a night that Houston made just 12-of-38 (31.6%) from behind the arc overall.

Clint Capela (12 points, 21 rebounds) extended his streak of consecutive games with at least 20 rebounds to five, tying Elvin Hayes for the longest such streak in Rockets franchise history.

The Detroit Pistons’ Ben Wallace was the last NBA player to record five straight 20-rebound games, having done so in 2003.

Outside of Harden, Westbrook, and Capela, no Houston player in Mike D’Antoni‘s rotation scored more than six points for the game. Starting small forward Danuel House Jr. left early with left shoulder soreness after running into the 284-pound Jokic on a screen.

The Rockets return to action Friday night in Los Angeles against Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and the rest of the star-studded Clippers. The Rockets defeated the Clippers last week in Houston.

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LeBron James’ remarkable road to triple-doubles against all 30 NBA teams

LeBron James has triple-doubles against all 30 NBA teams. Here is how he accomplished the feat.

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LeBron James completed the NBA cycle of triple-doubles on Tuesday. He made the Oklahoma City Thunder the 30th team he has accomplished the feat against.

We took a look at how he got there, addressing each of the teams that saw LeBron post a triple-double against it in his amazing career.

Atlanta Hawks

Kevin Liles/NBAE via Getty Images

LeBron and the Cavaliers lost to the Atlanta Hawks by 126-125 in overtime on April 9, 2017. He played 47 minutes and put up a line of 32-16-10 in the defeat.

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LeBron James up to 3rd in latest MVP odds behind Harden, Giannis

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is up to No. 3 in the latest MVP odds, trailing only the last two MVPs in the league.

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With the Los Angeles Lakers sitting atop the NBA standings with the NBA’s best defense, LeBron James is closing the gap between he and the two MVP finalists from the last two NBA seasons.

In updated odds released Wednesday from BetOnline, James is currently a very close third behind 2019 MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and 2018 MVP James Harden to win the 2020 MVP award. While James is currently leading the NBA in assists, the other two have incredibly impressive statistical accolades while their teams are a bad Lakers week from passing L.A. in the standings.

2019-2020 NBA Regular Season Most Valuable Player

James Harden                           7/4

Giannis Antetokounmpo            2/1

LeBron James                           6/1

Luka Doncic                             7/1

Anthony Davis                          12/1

Kawhi Leonard                          16/1

Joel Embiid                               28/1

Nikola Jokic                              28/1

Damian Lillard                           33/1

Karl-Anthony Towns                  33/1

Paul George                              33/1

Pascal Siakam                           50/1

Harden is averaging an astonishing 39.4 points per game in the first month of the season and has actually shot below his career shooting percentages. Meanwhile, Antetokounmpo is averaging a monstrous 30 points, 14 rebounds and six assists per game.

Right now, LeBron has team success on his side and for the first time since he was with the Miami Heat, a claim at two-way excellence. He hasn’t taken home the MVP award since he took his talents from South Beach, so perhaps the reminders of those days are portending a reclaiming of the Most Valuable Players award that he hasn’t won since 2013.

If James manages to retake the MVP award seven years after his most recent one, that would be the longest stretch between MVP awards in NBA history, surpassing a six-year gap for Wilt Chamberlain (1960-66). A fifth MVP would also make him just the fourth player in NBA history to win five MVPs, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (6), Bill Russell and Michael Jordan.

James Harden is shooting more free throws than anyone since Wilt

Houston Rockets superstar James Harden has redefined basketball based on the way he is able to draw contact from his defenders on the court.

Houston Rockets superstar James Harden has redefined basketball based on the way he can draw contact from his defenders on the court.

This has been an increasing trend for the 2018 NBA MVP, who has been able to get to the free-throw line more often than any other player in the league. It has defined his style as a basketball player and has recently forced officials to change the way that his games are called by referees.

Harden has taken 14.5 free throws per game for the Rockets so far this season. That is the most since Wilt Chamberlain (17.0) during his 1961-62 campaign.

On a recent podcast, The Hoop Collective’s Brian Windhorst noted that Harden is averaging four additional free-throws per game since last season (via ESPN):

“He is also on pace for one of the highest free throw seasons in the modern era. Now, free throws are a lot different than they used to be … The modern player with the most free throws ever was Dwight Howard in the 2010-11 season. Other than that, you are going back to Chamberlain. But he certainly could end up with the most free throws ever in the modern era.”

According to Cleaning the Glass, Harden has been fouled on 18.3 percent of his shooting attempts. He currently leads the league with 123 personal fouls drawn so far this season, which is good for 8.8 per game.

After 14 games, Harden has been awarded free throws on 18.6 percent of the offensive possessions he has finished this season. Among all players with at least 200 possessions finished, that is the second-highest rate in the NBA.

Perhaps most surprising is that the guard has also drawn a foul on a career-best 3.7 percent of non-shooting fouls per team play. He has drawn 1.47 non-shooting fouls per 36 minutes, per PBP Stats, significantly more than any of his previous campaigns.

As noted by Ben Cohen, it has become the most efficient way of scoring for Harden (via The Wall Street Journal):

“His statistics over the last six years help explain why free throws are such a priority for him. Harden’s shots around the basket are worth 1.22 points, and his 3-pointers return 1.09 points per shot. They’re both fabulously profitable shots. But they’re not as valuable as when he goes to the line for two shots (1.73 points) or three shots (2.59 points). Harden’s free throws are just about the best shots in basketball.”

The fact he has been able to get to the line even without taking field goal attempts has been a remarkably effective way for him to add points to his overall scoring distribution.

Overall, especially considering he is a much better free-throw shooter than Chamberlain, he may be able to shatter his own career-best points per game despite the addition of Russell Westbrook.

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Eric Gordon explains the timing that led to his knee surgery

In new comments after his recent knee surgery, Rockets guard Eric Gordon says he didn’t think he needed the procedure during the offseason.

In new comments after his recent knee surgery, Houston Rockets guard Eric Gordon says he didn’t think he needed the procedure during the past NBA offseason.

When head coach Mike D’Antoni disclosed last week that Gordon’s knee pain dated back to last season, many fans naturally wondered if the 30-year-old should have had the procedure during the summer — when the projected six-week recovery timetable would not have forced him to miss any games of the 2019-20 regular season.

However, in speaking with reporters this week at Toyota Center, Gordon said he did not view the prior pain as worthy of surgery.

I’ve been dealing with this since last season, I’m pretty sure coach told you about that. Along the way, it just got worse and worse. It’s something that needed to happen, and so it’s definitely a major relief. Now I can go out there and play free.

It just got worse over time, and it was really affecting what I do. I couldn’t be as athletic as I wanted to be, and that was something I was really working on. That’s what I was worried about, more the rehab and doing things to keep me out there on the floor, instead of just worrying about playing. But I’ll get back to that here very soon.

The knee problem likely contributed to Gordon’s much worse than expected start to the season — with shooting percentages of 30.9% overall and 28.4% from three-point range. Both figures are well below the 41.4% and 36.4% percentages logged by Gordon during his first three seasons in Houston, and his current average of 10.9 points per game is the lowest of any season in his 12-year career.

“I know it’s going to be a six-week process,” said Gordon, who signed a multi-year contract extension with the Rockets in September. “I’ve just got to follow it and get back out there as soon as I can.”

Even with Gordon missing time, the Rockets (11-3) entered Wednesday with the NBA’s longest active winning streak at eight games. As one might expect, Gordon is hoping to get back as quickly as possible to help his teammates continue their run of success.

I just like how we’re playing, I like our record. It’s good that we got off to a good start. By the time I come back, hopefully we can continue to keep thriving.

Six weeks from his Nov. 13 surgery date is Dec. 25, which is when the Rockets have a nationally televised game at Golden State as part of the NBA’s annual Christmas Day slate. If Gordon returns then, that would mean he misses 20 total games due to the procedure.

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Report: ‘Sneaker King’ P.J. Tucker nears new Nike endorsement deal

Houston Rockets forward P.J. Tucker is close to signing a new endorsement deal with Nike, CNBC’s Jabari Young reports.

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Houston Rockets forward P.J. Tucker is close to signing a new endorsement deal with Nike, CNBC‘s Jabari Young reports.

The 34-year-old has been with Nike throughout his extended NBA career, but his prior deal expired Oct. 1.

Young reports:

Tucker also received interest from Puma, Adidas and New Balance, his agent Andre Buck of Arete Sports Agency confirmed in an interview. The 34-year-old player is expected to command a multiyear, six-figure sneaker deal that would be the largest endorsement deal of his career.

“He’s been happy with the level of interest from the various brands,” Buck added when contacted by CNBC. “So much of the sneaker culture, even beyond basketball, is a part of his life.”

In 14 games to begin the new 2019-20 NBA season, Tucker is averaging 9.9 points (53.2% shooting, 47.5% on three-pointers) and 6.6 rebounds in 34.9 minutes per game. He’s seen by many as Houston’s most valuable and versatile defensive player.

However, he’s probably best known to the masses for his fashion sense, both on and off the court. As far as basketball shoes, Young estimates that Tucker — often referred to as the NBA’s “Sneaker King” — has more than 5,000 pairs in his collection.

What makes Tucker’s endorsement deal unique is the diversity of his collection and the extensive online following that it has generated for him. Based on that, Nike has allowed Tucker access to their complete vault of sneakers — as opposed to one specific shoe or line, as is the case with most players. From Young’s story:

“They’re selling products, so they want you to wear certain things,” Tucker told CNBC in an interview last month. “But for me, they let me wear anything I want. Everybody can’t do that, especially if you’re under contract.

“With that blessing,” Tucker said he can wear a variety of lines, including the Kobe Bryant 4 model, his all-time favorite game-sneakers.

Young says the deal should be a multi-year pact worth “six figures,” which would be the largest endorsement deal of Tucker’s career.

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