Houston Rockets forward Danuel House Jr. is doubtful for Wednesday’s showdown versus the Los Angeles Clippers with a bruised lower back,
Houston Rockets small forward Danuel House Jr. is doubtful for Wednesday’s home game versus the Los Angeles Clippers due to a bruised back, head coach Mike D’Antoni said at Tuesday’s practice.
The 26-year-old suffered the injury during Monday’s victory at New Orleans when a Pelicans defender attempted to draw a charge. House was in the air on a drive to the basket and fell several feet, with his lower back taking the brunt of the impact.
House stayed in the game to shoot the ensuing free throws and played for much of the first half, but his back stiffened during the halftime break — when the team announced he would not return.
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The native Houstonian is scoring 11.8 points in 29.2 minutes per game this season, including a blistering 45.5% shooting clip on three-pointers. The defensive rating of 104.0 is among the best in Houston’s current rotation, and his 6-foot-6 frame offers valuable length, athleticism, and defensive versatility.
However, the Rockets (7-3) may catch a slight break with House’s probable absence in Wednesday’s showdown. That’s because the Clippers (7-3) are not expected to play superstar forward Paul George, with Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reporting that George will make his 2019-20 season debut on Thursday in New Orleans, instead.
As of midday Tuesday, it was unclear if fellow star forward Kawhi Leonard would play, since it’s the first of a back-to-back sequence of games for the Clippers — who to this point have sat Leonard for one game of their back-to-backs this season.
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However, given the controversy (including a fine from the NBA) from last week’s decision to sit Leonard in an ESPN game and considering that Wednesday’s game in Houston is also on ESPN, Clippers coach Doc Rivers could play Leonard in this one as a gesture of good faith.
As for the Rockets, the team is likely to start 6-foot-3 guard Ben McLemore in House’s place. That’s because Eric Gordon, who as recently as last week started at forward over House, is now expected to miss six weeks after undergoing a medical procedure on his knee.
Coach D’Antoni confirmed this at practice. Eric Gordon will have a procedure done tomorrow to clean out his knee – is expected to miss 6 weeks. He’s experienced discomfort in the knee since last season. #Rocketshttps://t.co/SMye4ov5qM
With Eric Gordon surgery and Danuel House Jr. likely out tomorrow against the Clippers, Rockets likely to start Ben McLemore. That means Austin Rivers and Chris Clemons to get the time off the bench in the backcourt.
With Gordon and House both presumably out, that’s likely to mean more minutes than usual in D’Antoni’s rotation for McLemore, as well as veteran forward Thabo Sefolosha and perhaps rookie guard Chris Clemons off the Houston bench.
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The Chinese backlash to Daryl Morey’s tweet could reportedly cost the Rockets $20 million, once terminated multiyear deals are calculated.
The Chinese backlash to the now infamous Hong Kong tweet by Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey could cost the franchise nearly $20 million once terminated multiyear deals are calculated, according to a story published Tuesday by ESPN‘s Kevin Arnovitz.
The ongoing controversy could also have ramifications for owner Tilman Fertitta and superstar guard James Harden, if no resolution is reached between the NBA and its Chinese partners. Arnovitz writes:
No team has felt the brunt of the fallout more than the Rockets. League sources say the franchise has lost more than $7 million in revenue this season from cancelled Chinese sponsorship agreements and nearly $20 million overall when terminated multiyear deals are calculated.
Previous Rockets owner Leslie Alexander was able to parlay the Rockets’ presence in China into numerous investment opportunities, from wine distribution to the Chinese auto aftermarket. The friction between the NBA and China could temper any ambitions his successor, Tilman Fertitta, has to expand his portfolio into China after paying $2.2 billion for the team in 2017. For their superstar James Harden, the losses could be considerable if no resolution is reached. A source says Harden’s endorsement agreement with Shanghai’s SPD Bank Credit Card is imperiled.
One month later, the NBA is still making sense of how a tweet exploded into an international incident. A few peeks behind the scenes of a conflict that has receded from public view, but lingers.https://t.co/paXTk2o658
The financial amount of Harden’s endorsement pact with SPD Bank Credit Card was not reported in the story.
Two days after Morey’s original post, Harden attempted to mend fences with an apology to Chinese fans for the team’s involvement in the controversy. Harden typically travels to China at least once per NBA offseason for endorsement purposes and to promote his brand.
The overall terms are roughly in line with an October report from the Houston Chronicle‘s Jonathan Feigen, who said the fallout from Morey’s tweet in support of the Hong Kong protest movement could cost the Rockets between $10 million and $25 million. It remains to be seen if any of those relationships can ultimately be repaired.
In honor of Russell Westbrook’s 31st birthday, we’re celebrating the boldest fashion choices by the Houston Rockets star over his NBA years.
Born on November 12, 1988, superstar Houston Rockets guard Russell Westbrook turned 31 years old Tuesday.
The former NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) and eight-time All-Star is best known, of course, for his production on the basketball court, where he’s now in his 12th professional season and is a certain Hall of Famer once his playing days are eventually done.
In that capacity, Westbrook had something of an early celebration in Monday night’s win by the Rockets in New Orleans. The 6-foot-3 guard tallied 26 points on 11-of-21 (52.4%) shooting, despite missing seven of eight shots from three-point range. He more than offset his long-range struggles by making 10-of-13 (76.9%) shots inside the arc, including his best performance this season from mid-range areas.
Westbrook also had five steals, four assists, and four rebounds in 35 minutes played during Monday’s game.
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The Rockets — who acquired Westbrook in a blockbuster trade this July — have an off day Tuesday, so the 31-year-old won’t celebrate the night of his actual birthday on the court.
But wherever he is, Westbrook will probably look the part of a global superstar. That’s in large part because of his renowned passion for fashion, both when traveling for NBA business and in leisure time.
In honor of his 31st birthday, here’s a look back at some of Westbrook’s boldest fashion choices over his years in the NBA.
The New Orleans Pelicans did their best, but they couldn’t slow down James Harden and the Houston Rockets without Brandon Ingram.
The New Orleans Pelicans still haven’t won two games in a row this season after losing to the Houston Rockets 122-116 Monday at the Smoothie King Center. Here was the good, the bad and the Ball from the contest.
The Good: The wings
With both Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram — the Pelicans’ leading scorer — sidelined for Monday night’s matchup against the Rockets, New Orleans needed a balanced scoring effort from their team and they got just that, particularly from their shooting guards.
JJ Redick and Josh Hart scored a combined 43 points, with Redick leading the way for the Pelicans with 24 points, including seven 3-pointers. Hart, who started at small forward with Ingram out, also got hot from behind the arc, draining four 3-pointers in six tries.
Unfortunately, the starting shooting guard on the Rockets is pretty good, too. In 38:16, James Harden scored a game-high 39 points on 52% shooting from the field despite going 3-11 from behind the arc. He also dished out nine assists, which was two short of Jrue Holiday’s game-high 11 assists.
The Pelicans put up a good fight for most of the game, but it’s hard to compete against a team with two superstars when you have none and injuries to key players. Giving up 122 points didn’t help their cause, either.
The Bad: The defense
The Pelicans have had the same problem all season and it doesn’t seem to be getting any better. I’m, of course, talking about their defense.
New Orleans let Houston score two points above their season average (120.1) on Monday despite holding them to just 16 fast break points. Their season average going into Monday night’s game was 20.4 points.
Guarding Harden and Westbrook is no easy task, especially with Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram out, but it’s something 28 other teams have to manage and they didn’t.
The Ball
Lonzo Ball sat out of Monday’s game with a adductor strain. He’ll be re-evaluated on Tuesday.
James Harden had 19 of his 39 points in the fourth quarter as the Houston Rockets won their fourth straight game on Monday in New Orleans.
Superstar Houston Rockets guard James Harden was named Western Conference Player of the Week earlier Monday, and he followed that up with 39 points and nine assists just a few hours later in New Orleans as the Rockets defeated the Pelicans, 122-116 (box score).
It’s the fourth straight win for the Rockets, who are now a season-best four games over .500 at 7-3. With the loss, the Pelicans fall to 2-8.
Harden started cold with just 2 points in the first quarter and hit only 3-of-11 (27.3%) on three-pointers, down from 43.1% over his last three games. But the former NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) got going by attacking the rim, with 10 makes in 14 attempts inside the arc.
Of Harden’s 39 points, 28 came in the second half and 19 in the fourth quarter. In one sequence, he scored 15 consecutive Houston points.
Capela also recorded 20+ rebounds in consecutive games last season. Prior to that, the last Rockets player to do so was Charles Barkley — way back in November 1996.
Eric Gordon posted by far his most efficient game of the season off the Houston bench, scoring 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting and 4-of-7 (57.1%) from three-point range. The Rockets especially needed Gordon’s contributions after starting small forward Danuel House Jr. left the game early with a back contusion.
Eric Gordon heating up. He’s hit three 3-pointers in 3 consecutive games.
A way #Rockets have gotten him going is through using him as a back screener in Spain pick-and-roll. He sets a back screen, then pops out to the perimeter. He’s getting open shots, deep ones too, in rhythm pic.twitter.com/bE9pAW8FK6
The Pelicans were led by 24 points from veteran guard J.J. Redick, who hit 7-of-15 (46.7%) from three-point range.
After Monday’s win, the Rockets flew back to Houston, where they will host the Los Angeles Clippers (6-3) on Wednesday. With Kawhi Leonard and potentially Paul George leading the visitors, the Rockets could certainly use House’s athleticism and defensive versatility. In postgame remarks, head coach Mike D’Antoni said House “should be okay,” but did not commit to his immediate availability.
After taking a hard fall in Monday’s first half, Rockets forward Danuel House Jr. did not return after halftime due to a back contusion.
Houston Rockets forward Danuel House Jr. left Monday’s game early against the New Orleans Pelicans with a lower back contusion after falling on it during the first half.
On a drive to the basket, House left his feet and was undercut by a Pelicans defender in a failed attempt to draw a charge.
The 26-year-old shot the ensuing free throws and stayed in the game for several minutes after, but his back apparently stiffened during the halftime break — when the team announced he would not return.
The Rockets play the Los Angeles Clippers with Kawhi Leonard and potentially Paul George in their next game Wednesday back in Houston, so they could definitely use House’s athleticism, length, and defensive versatility, if possible. In postgame remarks, head coach Mike D’Antoni did not commit to House’s potential availability.
In his postgame presser, Mike D'Antoni says #Rockets forward Danuel House Jr. (back contusion) "should be okay."
"I don't know about next game, but nothing big." Says it's a normal bump or bruise.
Entering Monday’s game, House was scoring 12.9 points per game on 48.7% shooting and a blistering 47.2% clip from three-point range. The native Houstonian has also averaged 5.3 rebounds in his 31.2 minutes, and his net defensive rating of 103.7 is the best of any player in Houston’s current rotation.
Head coach Mike D’Antoni announced before Saturday’s game in Chicago that he was sticking with House as his starter at small forward, even after the return of Eric Gordon from an injury absence. When House did not start the second half, D’Antoni went with Ben McLemore rather than Gordon for a starting lineup replacement, which would seem to indicate a desire to keep Gordon in a bench role.
Each week, HoopsHype ranks the Top 10 candidates for this season’s Most Valuable Player award. Find out who made this week’s rankings!
Each week, HoopsHype’s staff ranks the Top 10 candidates for this season’s Most Valuable Player award. This list highlights stars who have entered the 2019-20 MVP discussion thanks to their impressive play.
Which stars have stood out thus far? Who can sustain this production as the sample size increases? Here are our latest MVP rankings:
Drummond has been dominant through the first 10 games of the season. It’s impressive when a player has a single 20-point, 20-rebound performance, but the 26-year-old is nearly averaging that. He’s scored 20 or more points in six games, and he’s grabbed 20 or more rebounds in five games. He’s also doing a good job of finding open teammates, as he’s averaging 5.4 assists in November (and he has 25 assists in his last four games). Drummond is posting video-game numbers and shows no sign of slowing down. The Pistons are getting Blake Griffin back from injury, which should only help them as they look to improve their record (4-6) and climb up the Eastern Conference standings.
Towns missed two games due to his suspension for fighting Joel Embiid, but he’s been a beast in the seven contests in which he’s played. He’s posting career-highs across the board and he’s been able to score the ball with ease this season, inside and out. In fact, Towns has more than doubled his three-point attempts (from 4.6 last year to 9.3 this year), yet his three-point percentage has stayed at 40.0 percent. His 3.7 threes per game is fourth in the NBA behind only James Harden (4.3), Damian Lillard (4.0) and Kemba Walker (3.8). Minnesota is currently 5-4, which is ninth-best in the Western Conference and just two games out of first place.
HoopsHype’s Frank Urbina recently wrote a great article breaking down Booker’s impressive start to the season and what he’s doing differently this year. The 23-year-old is playing the most efficient basketball of his career, finishing in the paint better than ever and locking down opponents on the defensive end. Newcomers Aron Baynes and Ricky Rubio have made a huge difference for Booker too. The Suns are the NBA’s biggest surprise thus far, sitting at 6-3 with the league’s third-best offense (scoring 109.1 points per 100 possessions) and ninth-best defense (allowing 101.1 points per 100 possessions). There’s no question that Booker is a huge reason for their early success. The red-hot Suns will face off against the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday in a game that will feature three players from this list.
Harden is once again leading the league in scoring. The main issue for Harden (and the reason he isn’t higher on this list) has been his shooting percentages. He’s currently shooting an ugly 39.4 percent from the field and 30.0 percent from three-point range – both of which are career-lows. It’s taking him 24.2 field goal attempts (and 14.4 three-point attempts) per game to get to his 37.1 scoring average. Those numbers must drastically improve if he wants to compete for this year’s MVP award. There’s always an adjustment period when a team is integrating a new star and that’s what Harden and the Rockets are doing with Russell Westbrook. Still, Houston is 6-3, which is tied for the third-best record in the Western Conference.
There’s a reason LeBron James badly wanted to team up with this guy. Davis is once again filling the stat sheet and making his presence felt all over the court, helping the Lakers win seven of their first nine games. He gives opposing head coaches nightmares, as he’s been the best rim protector in the league and he’s scoring at will. Davis is currently ranked first in Defensive Win Shares (0.9) and third in Win Shares (1.7, tied with James). He’s new to the Lakers and still getting acclimated, but you’d never know it based on his early play. It remains to be seen if voters will dock points from James and/or Davis because they’re on the same team. Opposing teams certainly hate that these two stars teamed up, as they’ve struggled to slow them down thus far.
Lillard is having the best season of his career, but he can only do so much for the Blazers. He’s getting little help from his supporting cast, which is why the Blazers are 4-6 and in 10th place in the Western Conference despite Lillard playing out of his mind. That was on display in Portland’s recent loss to the Brooklyn Nets, when Lillard had 60 points (including 7 threes), 5 assists and 4 rebounds while shooting 57.6 percent from the field and 43.8 percent from deep, but the Nets won 119-115. Injuries have been an issue for the Blazers, but they also have a new-look roster after losing Al-Farouq Aminu, Maurice Harkless, Evan Turner, Meyers Leonard, Enes Kanter and Seth Curry among others. Still, Lillard is averaging the second-most points in the league while also ranking first in Win Shares (2.4) and second in Value Over Replacement Player (1.1).
Leonard’s decision to sit out the nationally televised showdown against the Milwaukee Bucks relaunched the load-management debate. It seems that Leonard will continue to sit out during back-to-backs to ensure that he’s 100 percent for the playoffs. Leonard credits load management for his monster 2019 postseason with the Toronto Raptors and while this is probably a smart move for the Clippers, it likely means Leonard won’t have a shot at winning this year’s MVP award. Voters seem to disqualify players who rest, regardless of how productive they are when they play. HoopsHype looked at the last 15 MVP winners and they missed an average of 3.93 games in their MVP season (with no player missing more than 10 games). Leonard missed 22 games last season and he’s on pace to miss 18 contests this year, which would seemingly remove him from the MVP discussion (like last year). Still, Leonard is playing well and the Clippers are 6-3, which is tied for the third-best record in the West. If the Clippers stop resting Leonard – or the NBA decides that he’s healthy and must play – perhaps he becomes a serious candidate.
Doncic is the only player in the league who currently ranks Top 11 in points per game (sixth), assists per game (second) and rebounds per game (11th). As if Luka’s counting stats weren’t impressive enough, his advanced stats jump off the page as well: Doncic ranks third in Value Over Replacement Player (1.0), fourth in Box Plus/Minus (10.3) and fifth in Win Shares (1.6). The 20-year-old is the youngest player in NBA history to record 10 or more triple-doubles, passing LeBron James and Magic Johnson. He also became the second player with at least three 20-point triple-doubles in the first six games of a season, joining Oscar Robertson. Doncic must continue to limit his turnovers (4.9 per game) and improve his three-point percentage (32.1 percent on 8.7 attempts per game). But that feels like nitpicking when the kid is nearly averaging a triple-double and winning games for the Mavericks, who are 6-3 (which is tied for the third-best record in the West).
Antetokounmpo had an MVP performance in the Bucks’ win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday. After struggling in the first half, Antetokounmpo ripped his jersey and kicked a hole in a Thunder sign while walking back to the locker room at halftime. In the second half, MVP Giannis showed up and he finished the game with 35 points, 16 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 threes, 1 block and 1 steal while shooting an efficient 68.4 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from three-point range. Antetokounmpo has now scored 30 or more points in five-straight games. The Bucks are 7-3, which puts them in third place in the Eastern Conference and just one game back from the top-seeded Boston Celtics. Antetokounmpo currently leads all players in Value Over Replacement Player (1.3), Box Plus/Minus (13.9) and Win Shares Per 48 Minutes (.325).
As Tommy Beer of Forbes recently pointed out, no player in NBA history has ever averaged more than 7.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists in their age-35 season. Well, James is currently posting those marks with ease (24.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, 11.0 assists). When all is said and done, one could make the argument that James was the best teenager in NBA history (he holds the NBA record for most career points, rebounds and assists before turning 20 years old) and the best mid-30s player in NBA history (if he keeps this up). LeBron’s longevity is remarkable; in the load-management era, he’s playing 35.1 minutes per game, which is the most of any Laker and 12th-most in the league. James is currently No. 1 on this list because his individual production has been impressive and it’s translated into team success, as the Lakers currently have the NBA’s second-best record at 7-2. One area where James must improve is his three-point shooting; he’s attempting 5.2 threes per game, but he’s making just 31.9 percent thus far.
After an offseason shooting emphasis, Austin Rivers’ three-point percentage has risen from 32.1% to 43.8% in his second year with the Rockets.
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Now in his second year with the Houston Rockets, guard Austin Rivers entered the 2019-20 NBA season hoping that an offseason emphasis on long-range shooting would pay off.
As of Monday, it seems to have gone exactly as planned.
Through the new season’s first nine games, the 6-foot-3 guard is shooting a career-best 43.8% on three-pointers on an average of 3.6 attempts per game. That percentage is up significantly from his 32.1% in 47 games with the Rockets last regular season.
In Houston’s last two games entering Monday, which were blowout victories over the Golden State Warriors and Chicago Bulls, Rivers connected on 6-of-7 shots (85.7%) from behind the arc.
Overall, Rivers is averaging 6.8 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. His nightly minutes are down from 28.6 last year to 20.2 this season, but that’s not because the 27-year-old isn’t playing well. Unlike a season ago, when Rivers was signed in late December following a multi-week injury to Chris Paul, newly acquired guard Russell Westbrook has been much more durable, as expected.
One of the trickle-down effects of Westbrook’s superior durability is less minutes for reserve guards, relative to the Paul years. But Rivers is making the most of his opportunities, and so are the Rockets — who have now won three straight games to improve to 6-3 on the season.
Last year, Rivers’ three-point efficiency rose from 32.1% in the regular season to 45.7% in 11 postseason games, and he said in September that continued shooting improvement was one of his primary points of emphasis to best fit alongside Westbrook and James Harden.
That’s all I’ve been working on this summer. You’ve got to understand, I’m playing with two of the most elite guards in the league. A lot of attention is going to be on them.
So for me personally, playing with them this year… everybody knows I can score one on one and stuff like that. But my goal is to really be a knockdown shooter to help them with space, and then on defense to give them a break, because I want to guard the best player on every team.
So far, so good. But even if that blistering 43.8% clip through nine games isn’t totally sustainable, it should be noted that Rivers shot 37.1% and 37.8% on three-pointers with the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons, with both coming on relatively high volume at 4.0 and 5.9 attempts per game.
In other words, it’s actually the 2018-19 campaign at 32% that appears to be the outlier for Rivers, since he has been at 37% or better in every other year over his last four NBA seasons. Over a full season, that type of accuracy could be huge for the Rockets, given the historic rate at which Houston attempts three-pointers under Mike D’Antoni.
It hasn’t all been perfect for Rivers, whose defensive rating is currently at 118.6 after being at 108.1 with Houston last season. Thus, even though his offensive rating has jumped from 112.9 to 116.3, his overall net rating has actually declined from 2.5 to -2.3. Off-ball awareness has at times been a problem.
But at 27 years old, there’s no reason to think that Rivers’ skillset as a quality isolation defender versus quick guards — shown in the playoffs against Stephen Curry, who shot just 40.3% overall and 27.9% on three-pointers versus Houston — has declined. With time, his defensive showings should revert back to career norms.
The falloff in Rivers’ defensive metrics from a year ago might also reflect that Houston’s bench unit is now led by Westbrook, who historically is a worse defender than Paul. With time, their chemistry as a unit and knowledge of each other’s tendencies should improve.
I want to be be one of the best perimeter defenders in the league this year, and that’s a challenge I made to myself. I told James and Russ whenever I’m on the floor, they’re not going to be guarding the best player, because they already have too much of a load.
Despite having significantly stronger offers from other teams, Rivers opted to re-sign with the Rockets in July for the league minimum. Given that bargain rate, simply carrying over his 2018-19 performance levels and defensive value would be more than adequate for the Rockets and GM Daryl Morey.
But to this point, Rivers has actually expanded his game relative to a year ago, with his offseason shooting emphasis paying off in a big way. The defense still needs to come around, but assuming it does, Rivers might end up being one of the NBA’s best values this season.
The New Orleans Pelicans will look to start their first winning streak of the season with a win over the Houston Rockets on Monday.
Who: New Orleans Pelicans vs. Houston Rockets
When: Monday, Nov. 11, 8:00 p.m ET
Where: Smoothie King Center
How to watch: Fox Sports New Orleans
After snapping their three-game losing streak on Saturday against the Charlotte Hornets, the New Orleans Pelicans (2-7) will look to get their first back-to-back wins of the regular season when they host the Houston Rockets (6-3) on Monday.
Neither team has started the season the way they wanted but the Rockets are still firmly in the playoff conversation with their All-Star backcourt featuring Russell Westbrook and James Harden — each of whom has won the league MVP award within the last three years. The same can’t be said of the Pelicans, however, who are No. 13 in the Western Conference going into Monday night’s game — a team they don’t match up well with.
The Rockets are ranked sixth in the league in fast-break points led by Russell Westbrook, who is fourth among players in fast-break points per game (5.8). The Pelicans are also ranked sixth in fast-break points but they also allow the most fast-break points in the NBA (20.4). That’s not a recipe for success against any team, but especially not the Rockets.
It’s not just transition defense that the Pelicans struggle with, though — it’s defense in general. Through nine games, the Pelicans are ranked No. 29 in the league in defensive rating, allowing 113.3 points per 100 possessions. At No. 22, the Rockets aren’t much better. But Houston has the second-most efficient offense in the NBA behind the Dallas Mavericks.
New Orleans will have to be at its best defensively on Monday. But with Lonzo Ball — one of their best defensive guards — sidelined once again, their best might not be enough. Hopefully the new-look starting lineup continues to surprise people and helps the Pelicans start their first winning streak of the season.
James Harden was named West Player of the Week after averaging 41 points and nine assists per game and leading the Rockets to a 3-0 record.
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The NBA on Monday announced Houston Rockets guard James Harden as the WesternConferencePlayer of the Week for games played from Monday, Nov. 4 through Sunday, Nov. 10 (Week 3).
It is Harden’s first Player of the Week award of the 2019-20 season and the 23rd of his career, all coming in Houston.
The Rockets went 3-0 on the week, outscoring their opponents by an average of 15.7 points per game. In those games, Harden averaged 40.7 points (43.6% shooting), 9.3 assists, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.3 steals in 36.1 minutes, with a double-double recorded in all three contests. The 30-year-old lefthander averaged 17 three-point attempts per game and connected on over 43% of those, despite the extreme volume.
James Harden AVG’s over the last 3 games. Player of the week material:
41 points 8 rebounds 9 assists 2.3 steals/G 1.3 blks/G 43% 3fg on 17 attempts per game pic.twitter.com/63kVo0HH2E
In total, Harden hit 22 three-pointers on 43.1% shooting, while Rockets opponents combined for 20 three-pointers on 22.2% shooting.
For the season overall, Harden has scored 334 points in 318 minutes of play. That is the highest total through the first nine games of any NBA season since Michael Jordan scored 337 in 1988-89.
Harden has hit 39 three-pointers, marking the fourth-highest total by any player in NBA history through the first nine games of a season — and the most by any player besides Stephen Curry.
The Rockets are 6-3 this season, with Harden ranking first in the league in points (37.1) and sixth in assists (8.2). In the 2018-19 campaign, he became the first player in NBA history to have averaged at least 35.0 points and 7.0 assists in a single season.
The Eastern Conference Player of the Week was Toronto forward Pascal Siakam, who averaged 30.3 points (51.5% shooting), 11.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game in a 3-0 week for the Raptors.
