Tag: Jeff Green

NBA gives retroactive flagrant to Anthony Davis for shot on Jeff Green

The league office seems to agree with Houston’s frustrations over the incident, as shown by the choice to retroactively assess a flagrant.

The NBA has retroactively issued a Flagrant Foul 1 to Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis, who made contact with the midsection of Houston Rockets forward Jeff Green late in Sunday’s first half.

Green stayed down in obvious pain for several minutes, though he did return to play in the second half of Game 2.

It was the latest in a string of questionable incidents involving apparent below-the-belt shots at Rockets players during the 2020 playoffs. Houston GM Daryl Morey and CEO Tad Brown each voiced their displeasure on social media following the latest example, and it seems that the NBA agreed with their assessment of the Davis-Green play.

Unfortunately for the Rockets, the ruling doesn’t provide them with much of a competitive advantage. Davis will be fined for the flagrant, as all players are, and it will count as one flagrant “point” on his record. If Davis were to reach four flagrant points in the playoffs, he would be suspended for a game — but that’s not close to happening, at the moment.

In real-time, the play was not even whistled as a common foul, let alone a flagrant. Going by the NBA’s revised judgment, it should have been two free throws for the Rockets and possession of the basketball.

Instead, Houston didn’t get any free throws, and Davis scored a layup as Green writhed in pain on the ground. In effect, it was likely a four-point swing as the game approached halftime. The Lakers went on to eventually win Game 2, 117-109, as they tied the second-round series.

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The play was not reviewed during the game, even though there was a 15-minute halftime break immediately following the sequence.

The NBA also retroactively issued a technical foul to James Harden for an earlier play, which occurred when his elbow struck Davis’ face after a foul. However, because it was a technical and not a flagrant, it does not count toward the league’s suspension threshold for flagrant fouls.

While NBA players can still be suspended for cumulative technical fouls, as well, the threshold to trigger an automatic suspension on technicals (7) is much higher than it is for flagrants (4).

Game 3 between the Rockets and Lakers is scheduled for an 8:00 p.m. Central tip-off on Tuesday, with a national TV broadcast on TNT.

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Anthony Davis called for Flagrant 1 for play against Jeff Green

Los Angeles Lakers star big man Anthony Davis now has a Flagrant foul point in the playoffs. 3 points is an automatic suspension.

It probably won’t mean anything negative for the duration of their playoff run, but the Los Angeles Lakers now need to be a little bit cognizant of flagrant foul points for their star big man and leading scorer Anthony Davis.

In a surprise to many, the NBA announced that upon a review of Game 2, Anthony Davis has been called for a Flagrant Foul 1 for an aggressive moe he made in the game against Houston’s Jeff Green. On a drive in the first half of Game 2, Davis drove hard against Green and accidentally hit him below the belt. Green was down for a few minutes and play had to be stopped.

A Flagrant Foul 1 has everything to do with the result of the play and nothing to do with intent. Had intent been clear, that would have been a Flagrant 2. With Davis earning a Flagrant 1, he now has 1 flagrant point in the playoffs. If a player accumulates 3 flagrant points throughout the playoffs, that will warrant a “Draymond Green” automatic 1-game suspension.

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Daryl Morey reacts to low blow on Jeff Green: ‘No accountability’

The Rockets have repeatedly been hit in odd ways during the 2020 NBA playoffs, and Houston’s GM is understandably frustrated by it.

For at least the third time in the 2020 NBA playoffs, the Houston Rockets were on the unfortunate end of a shot to the midsection.

In the first round against Oklahoma City, the victims were Ben McLemore (by Chris Paul) and P.J. Tucker (by Dennis Schroder). In Sunday’s Game 2 of the second round versus the Los Angeles Lakers, it was Anthony Davis who got in a shot against Jeff Green in the final seconds of the first half.

A foul call wasn’t whistled, and Green stayed down in obvious discomfort for several minutes entering the halftime break. (Later reports indicated that he would be able to return during the second half.)

Barring an outright confession, it’s impossible to determine the intent of any specific incident with 100% certainty. However, the repeated pattern over the first nine playoff games certainly seems unusual.

From Houston’s perspective, the frustration seems to be boiling over. After Houston Chronicle beat writer Jonathan Feigen tweeted about the play and said he had no explanation or guess for why this has occurred so frequently, Rockets GM Daryl Morey replied:

“No accountability.”

Needless to say, that should escalate the issue. Expect further discussion on this subject in the hours and days leading up to Tuesday’s Game 3.

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‘We let one get away’: Harden, Rockets lament Game 3 mistakes

Houston led by 5 points with under a minute left in regulation, but the Thunder forced OT and won with ease after James Harden fouled out.

No team has ever overcome a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series in the history of the NBA playoffs. And when P.J. Tucker‘s corner 3-pointer put the Houston Rockets up by five points over Oklahoma City with less than a minute left in regulation, it seemed that’s where the series was headed.

But the Thunder outscored the Rockets by a 7-2 margin over the final 55 seconds to force overtime. From there, once James Harden fouled out in the first minute of extra time, that was effectively the game — with OKC cruising to a 119-107 overtime win (box score) in Saturday’s Game 3.

Oklahoma City’s victory brings them within 2-1 in the best-of-seven playoff series, with Game 4 looming on Monday afternoon.

Jeff Green, who had 22 points (61.5% FG) and seven assists off the bench, was asked postgame whether his team felt it had slipped away.

Of course. That’s exactly how we feel. We allowed that one to get away from us, , but we know it started on the defensive end. We have to get back to what got us those two wins in the first two games.

We can’t dwell too long on this game, we have to look at the film and see where we can be better.

Harden led the Rockets with 38 points, and he eight assists to just one turnover. But like Green, he blamed the defensive shortcomings — which were a stark contrast to their stifling showing in Game 2.

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Harden’s postgame remarks:

We definitely let one get away, especially in that last minute. I think throughout the course of the game, though, we just made too many mental mistakes and gave them opportunities to score. It’s that simple.

I think defensively throughout the course of the game, we made too many mental mistakes, and personnel driven, which gave them 3s or layups. We have to limit those opportunities. And we will, I think, in Game 4.

After Houston went up five on Tucker’s trey, OKC got four quick points when Chris Paul blew past Harden (who had five fouls) to attack the rim. One bucket came on a CP3 layup, and the other a dish to Steven Adams. In between, Danuel House Jr. stepped out of bounds for a turnover.

The Rockets went back up two when Paul was called for an away-from-the-ball foul against Harden on the ensuing inbounds play, but Tucker threw the next inbounds pass away when Gordon slipped.

From there, Paul again collapsed Houston’s defense and found Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for an open corner 3-pointer, which put OKC up a point. House drew a foul in the final 10 seconds, split his free throws, and Paul missed a reverse layup at the buzzer — sending the game to OT.

Of that frantic closing sequence, it was the inbounds turnover that appeared to bother head coach Mike D’Antoni the most.

Eric obviously slipped and the pass got away from them.

I told [Tucker] he had a timeout if he needed, but he thought he could get it in. That’s part of the game.

The Thunder were led by their three top guards in Dennis Schroder, Paul, and Gilgeous-Alexander — who scored 29, 26, and 23 points, respectively. Collectively, they easily had their most efficient shooting game of the first-round series at 30-of-61 overall (49.2%).

Much of OKC’s late success came by targeting Harden on pick-and-rolls, knowing that “The Beard” couldn’t defend aggressively due to foul trouble.  The overtime period was never close after Harden fouled out.

When asked postgame, Harden put the blame on himself for being sloppy earlier in the game and being that close to disqualification.

Defensively, they were trying to put me in pick and roll, and get the switch. Their guards are crafty as far as drawing fouls, so I wasn’t trying to even come close and be in contact. I can’t allow that to happen early in the game. I can’t pick up cheap fouls throughout the course of the game, and then I wouldn’t be in that position later in the game.

I put that on myself.

While Harden led the Rockets with 38 points, he was again flustered at times by Thunder rookie Lu Dort. Harden missed 10 of his 13 attempts from 3-point range (23.1%), and backcourt mate Eric Gordon was even worse at 8-of-24 overall (33.3%) and 2-of-10 (20%) on 3-pointers. In the plus/minus, Houston was -29 in Gordon’s 41 minutes played.

All-Star guard Russell Westbrook (right quad strain) was again sidelined by injury, though D’Antoni said he was not yet ruled out for Game 4.

“I don’t know yet,” D’Antoni said of Westbrook’s status. “I’m sure he’s going to test it. He’s working every day and getting a little bit better. So we’ll see, but today I have no clue. We’ll see in a day or two.”

The Thunder will again be the “home” team on Monday. To this point, the home team has won all three games. But with each matchup inside the NBA’s fan-less “bubble” at Disney World, that shouldn’t be significant.

Game 4 between the Rockets and Thunder tips off at 3:00 p.m. Central on Monday, with a national broadcast on TNT and a regional version (with Houston announcers) on AT&T SportsNet Southwest.

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Game 2, Rockets vs. Thunder: How and what to watch for

Both teams shot nearly the same 3-point percentage in Game 1, but Houston had a 21-point edge due to volume. That’s a lot to make up.

The Houston Rockets dominated Game 1 of the 2020 NBA playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder. But they’re well aware that they still need three more victories to advance from the first-round series.

Just ask the Denver Nuggets, who went from a thrilling overtime victory over the Utah Jazz in Game 1 of that Western Conference series to a blowout loss in Game 2. The Rockets want to avoid a similar turnaround.

When asked at Wednesday’s practice how Houston celebrated its Game 1 win at the NBA “bubble,” forward Robert Covington replied:

Preparation for Game 2. It’s only one game. We’re not celebrating anything just yet.

Reserve big man Jeff Green (22 points, +28) was a revelation for the Rockets in Game 1, even playing in Covington’s place alongside the starters in the fourth quarter. But as soon as Tuesday’s Game 1 went final, he said it was already time for the team to move on.

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“Now, the focus is geared toward Thursday and Game 2,” Green said. “Each game is going to be different, I’m pretty sure that OKC is going to try to make some adjustments. We have to come ready for Game 2.”

All-Star guard Russell Westbrook (right quad strain) will again be sidelined Thursday, so backcourt co-star and MVP finalist James Harden will be the clear focal point. “The Beard” scored a game-high 37 points on 12-of-22 shooting (54.5%) in Game 1, but what happens if the Thunder try to trap and force the ball out of his hands even more?

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Excluding Harden, the Rockets shot 14-of-39 on 3-pointers (35.9%) on Tuesday, which was solid but not great. “I think we had a lot of shot opportunities that we missed that were really good shots,” Harden said postgame. In particular, Covington struggled at 1-of-5 from 3-point range (20%), and they may need more from him in Game 2.

The Rockets also benefited by only having seven turnovers. In the 2019-20 regular season, they averaged over 14 per game, and pressuring Harden in Westbrook’s absence could force secondary ball-handlers like Eric Gordon and Austin Rivers into bigger roles than usual. The Thunder also shouldn’t be as surprised by Mike D’Antoni‘s new wrinkle of utilizing Green as an occasional “point center,” as he called it postgame.

At a bare minimum, more pressure and traps might help to slow Houston’s pace, which punished the Thunder in transition sequences.

Then again, the Rockets had surgical execution in halfcourt settings, as well. Led by Harden’s brilliance, Houston’s halfcourt offensive rating of 129 was its best of any game all season versus a playoff opponent.

For the Thunder, Danilo Gallinari (29 points) and Chris Paul (20 points, nine assists) fared well, with each shooting 50% or better from the field. But guards Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Dennis Schroder struggled mightily, shooting just 5-of-20 combined (25%) for 15 points.

The Thunder could give more minutes to shooting bigs like Darius Bazley and Mike Muscala in a bid to open up more driving lanes.

Oklahoma City players seemed to express surprise postgame at Houston’s ability to still protect the rim, despite having a small lineup.

As can be expected, the Thunder vowed to make adjustments and potentially to give Gallinari even more touches and shot attempts. Gallinari was OKC’s leading scorer in the regular season, and at 6-foot-10, he’s taller than any player in the current Houston rotation.

The biggest problem for the Thunder could be basic math. The Rockets shot 48.3% overall in Game 1 and 38.5% on 3-pointers, while the Thunder came in at 44.0% and 37.1%, respectively. Houston had only a slight advantage in shot attempts, 89 to 84, while the Thunder shot six more free throws (25 to 19) and won the rebounding battle by 10. At face value, those numbers should suggest a relatively close game — not one where the Thunder never came within single digits over the last 35 minutes.

As it turned out, the defining statistic was 3-point volume. Houston shot 20-of-52 and Oklahoma City 13-of-35, making for a net advantage of 21 points. For the season, the Rockets ranked first in the NBA in 3-point attempts (45.4), while the Thunder were fourth-to-last (30.2).

If the Rockets make a satisfactory percentage of those shots and the Thunder aren’t able to reduce the volume, that’s a major mountain to climb — even with the size of Gallinari and Steven Adams.

The pressure appears to be squarely on Oklahoma City, too. With games at the Disney World bubble in Florida, it’s not as if the scene will shift between Game 2 and Game 3 (as it usually does) to potentially change momentum. Moreover, Houston goes up 2-0, it could allow them to be even more conservative with Westbrook’s quad recovery — so that if he is needed to win this series, he might be closer to 100 percent.

Game 2 between the Rockets and Thunder tips off at 2:30 p.m. Central on Thursday with a national broadcast on ESPN and a regional version (with Houston announcers) on AT&T SportsNet Southwest. For subscribers, both networks have streaming available on their mobile apps.

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Thunder look to play faster after losing Game 1 to Rockets

The Oklahoma City Thunder struggled to keep up with the Houston Rockets’ pace and fell in Game One of the first round of the NBA playoffs.

The first six minutes of the game and final six minutes of the first half was to Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Billy Donovan’s liking.

The 12 minutes in between, and the inability to slow down the Houston Rockets in the second half, led to the Thunder’s 123-108 defeat in Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs.

Over those first six minutes in the first and final six in the second, Donovan said, “Our pace was really good, and we had a good mixture of attacking paint, and post-ups, and some pick-and-roll penetration.

“And then we really had those lulls. And I think in those lulls that you’re talking about, our inability to really handle and guard the ball at the point of attack … some of it, to be honest with you, is just straight-up one-on-one, and it wasn’t always James (Harden).”

Harden had 37 points. He went 6-for-9 from inside the arc and 6-for-13 beyond the 3-point line. Eric Gordon complemented him in the starting lineup with 21 points.

Off the bench, Jeff Green had 22 points while posting a plus-28 and Ben McLemore had 14 points, four 3s and a plus-27 in 24 minutes.

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Oklahoma City guards and wings struggled to cut off their attacks, and with Houston playing all five guys outside the paint, help defense was very slow in arriving.

Steven Adams was forced to be in the corner with Rockets center P.J. Tucker instead of inside the paint against a normal big.

It’s not a complicated scheme, Adams said, but that’s not automatically a positive for the Thunder.

“It’s actually quite simple, but just because it’s simple doesn’t mean that it’s easy,” Adams said.

“It’s still a hard task. Because everyone’s spacing on their team. They just open up the lane. What it comes down to is actually being disciplined on when you should help.”

That was the whole point of the Rockets trading away Clint Capela. The lane is now wide open. If Adams crashes in, Tucker can hit his 3.

Tucker is more than adept at that. He’s a leading scorer along both sidelines, according to ESPN’s Kirk Goldsberry.

“The drive and kicks, and then we’re playing behind the ball,” Adams said. “That’s tough.”

Oklahoma City thinks the best way to fix that is by playing faster. That actually goes against their usual offensive scheme. This season, they played a more meticulous, pick-and-roll-heavy offense.

But that gave Houston too much time to get their defense set up in Game One. That clogged up lanes that didn’t allow guys like Dennis Schroder and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to score as they normally would.

Those two guards combined for 15 points on 5-for-20 shooting.

Then, in transition, Houston had the advantage. Adams referenced when Danuel House would streak out quickly after a play, resulting in quick Houston offense.

The Thunder only had two fast break points while Houston had 13.

Oklahoma City kept up at the beginning of the game and end of the first half. Outside those 12 minutes, there was little prolonged resistance.

“We got very slow. We didn’t play with any force. we weren’t playing downhill. We weren’t really getting out and running like we needed to,” Donovan said.

“Some of it was we were taking the ball out because they were scoring, but we’ve gotta play with a better tempo and a better pace. When we did that to close out that second quarter, we were a little bit better. We were trying to dig ourselves out of some holes … We’ve gotta play with a good pace and a good tempo and a good flow. When we don’t, we get a little bit bogged down.”

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After the first six minutes of the game, the score was tied at nine. In the final six minutes of the half, primarily with the three-guard lineup, the Thunder at one point went on a 9-0 run. After trailing by 21 with about four minutes to go, they cut the lead as low as 12.

But then the Rockets stormed back, eventually got the lead as high as 23, and with 20 3-pointers while limiting the Thunder to 44% shooting from the field, ran away with the win.

“The faster we play, the less that they set up in their defense, everyone’s going to be a lot more open. They have a bit more freedom. For most part, I think if we just stick to the offense, we should find more shots,” Adams said.

“Again, the volume of our shots isn’t necessarily, like, the goal. It’s more like the quality.”

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Jeff Green dazzles as Rockets bench sparks Game 1 victory

Led by Green’s 22 points, the Rockets were +28 in his minutes. Houston reserves outscored the OKC bench by 15, which was the final margin.

At the time, it felt relatively insignificant when reserve big man Jeff Green hit a mid-range shot to begin the second quarter, putting the Rockets up by 10. As it turned out, it was a sign of things to come.

The Oklahoma City Thunder never came within single digits again in the remaining 35 minutes, leading to a dominant 123-108 Houston victory (box score) in Game 1 of the first-round playoff series. Game 2 is set for Thursday afternoon, also at the NBA “bubble” in Florida.

All-Star guard James Harden had 37 points and 11 rebounds, and the Rockets were +10 as a team in his 34 minutes, but that’s almost routine for the 2020 MVP finalist. What made the difference, especially with fellow All-Star Russell Westbrook sidelined by injury, was that Houston also won the bench minutes when Harden didn’t play — even without Westbrook in his usual place to guide that second unit.

Green led the way with 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting (66.7%), and the Rockets were a remarkable +28 in his 32 minutes. He also had six rebounds and four assists, and he effectively served with what head coach Mike D’Antoni said postgame was a “point center” role — even bringing the ball up the court, at times.

“Jeff can make plays,” said D’Antoni, who allowed Green to play ahead of starter Robert Covington late in the fourth quarter. “He’s like a point guard out there, a point center, whatever you want to call it. He was good tonight, he caused a lot of problems for them.”

In response to a separate postgame question, D’Antoni credited Green with allowing even Harden to play off the ball at times.

I think it’s terrific. Jeff played really well. He opens up so many other possibilities, getting guys shots or wide-open shots for himself or giving James a little bit of a break to get open. All he has to do is pick and pop back. If they don’t switch, he goes to the rim and dunks. If they do, then James has the ball in a great spoot.

“It was a team effort,” said Green, speaking to the depth of Houston’s team performance. “We’ve got guys in the open court that can make plays. We’ve got to take a lot of pressure off James [Harden]. They’re going to focus on him, so we’ve got to do our job to try and make plays.”

Harden was originally teammates with Green as a rookie in the 2009-10 season — in Oklahoma City, of all places. Even though Green was unsigned before the Rockets picked him up in February, he’s clearly made a significant impact as a big man in Houston’s smaller lineup.

“I’m not impressed,” said Harden, asked if he was surprised or impressed by what Green did in Game 1. “I’ve been knowing Jeff since I was a rookie, so I know what he’s capable of. He’s confident. He’s being a playmaker. He’s doing things that he’s been doing his entire career.”

“He was a big pickup in the middle of the season,” Harden said of Green, now a veteran at 33 years old. “It’s huge for us.”

Green had help on that second unit in the form of sweet-shooting guard Ben McLemore, who scored 14 points in 24 minutes on 4-of-7 from 3-point range (57.1%). It was quite a strong performance in the first playoff game of McLemore’s seven-year NBA career.

“It’s good, plus when Russ [Westbrook] gets back, we’ll have an even deeper bench,” D’Antoni said. “Ben’s been playing well, only since the first of the year. You got Jeff and Austin [Rivers], our bench is good. It’s just trying to get everyone healthy and playing at the same time.”

In all, Houston’s bench outscored Oklahoma City’s bench by a 42-27 margin. Appropriately, those 15 points were the game’s final margin.

The Thunder (0-1) were led in defeat by 29 points from Danilo Gallinari and 20 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists from Chris Paul. But unlike Green and McLemore, no reserve cracked double figures in scoring.

Game 2 will tip off at 2:30 p.m. Central on Thursday. It will be televised nationally on ESPN and regionally on AT&T SportsNet Southwest.

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James Harden posts 27 and 10 in limited time as Rockets drop finale

The Rockets had little to play for in Friday’s finale after clinching the West’s No. 4 seed before the game. It showed on the court.

The Houston Rockets had little to play for in the final game of the 2019-20 regular season after clinching the Western Conference’s No. 4 seed and their playoff matchup before tip-off. It showed on the court.

All-Star guard and MVP finalist James Harden had 27 points (56.3% FG) and 10 assists in just 26 minutes, but the Rockets were largely lethargic and uninspired on defense in Friday’s 134-96 loss (box score) to the Philadelphia 76ers (43-30). Led by 18 points and seven rebounds from Tobias Harris, the Sixers scored 71 points in just the first half and made 18-of-38 on 3-pointers (47.4%) for the game overall.

Jeff Green started and had 17 points (8-of-10 shooting, 80%) and four assists in 25 minutes, while Eric Gordon scored 13 points in 23 minutes and hit 3-of-6 from 3-point range (50%). It was a relatively encouraging shooting performance from Gordon, who is in just his second game back after missing two weeks due to a sprained left ankle.

After trailing by 24 at halftime, Houston starters outscored the Sixers by 13 over the first six-plus minutes of the third quarter to cut the lead to 11 points. At that point, having finally seen some positive momentum and not wanting to risk injury in a meaningless game, Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni pulled his regulars. From there, Philadelphia’s reserves outscored Houston’s reserves by 27 over the final quarter and a half.

The Rockets finished the shortened regular season at 44-28, tied with the Oklahoma City Thunder (their first-round playoff opponent) and the Utah Jazz. However, Houston places first among those teams in the three-way tiebreaker due to being the only division winner.

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Russell Westbrook (right quad strain) and Danuel House Jr. (left toe sprain) did not play Friday, while all other starters played approximately two-and-a-half quarters. House is expected back for Game 1 of the playoffs next Tuesday, while Westbrook could miss additional time.

The Rockets will now turn their full attention to the 2020 playoffs. Game 1 between the Rockets and Thunder will tip off at 5:30 p.m. Central on Tuesday evening, with a national broadcast on TNT and a regional version (with Houston announcers) on AT&T SportsNet Southwest.

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Jeff Green, Ben McLemore hire new agents as representation

Green is joining Glushon Sports Management, headed by Jason Glushon, while McLemore has joined Rich Paul’s Klutch Sports.

Two key members of the Houston Rockets bench have recently hired new agency representation for future contract talks.

Jeff Green is joining Glushon Sports Management, led by Jason Glushon, while sharpshooter Ben McLemore joined Rich Paul’s Klutch Sports.

Now 33 years old, the current veteran’s minimum contract for Green expires after this season. The 6-foot-8 big man is averaging 11.5 points (39.1% on 3-pointers) and 3.0 rebounds in 21.3 minutes per game, and his career resurgence in Houston should certainly help him secure another contract once the 2020 NBA offseason finally arrives.

Glushon’s list of NBA clients is headlined by Jaylen Brown, Al Horford, and Jrue Holiday, and he also represents fellow Rocket David Nwaba.

Green was previously represented by Danielle Cantor of Falk Associates Management Enterprises (FAME). FAME was founded by longtime NBA super agent David Falk, who had Michael Jordan as his top client.

Unlike Green, McLemore is not likely to become a free agent this year. McLemore’s 2020-21 contract becomes guaranteed if not waived by October 18, 2020 — and given his production at a bargain rate of just more than $2 million, it’s hard to see any scenario where he is waived.

Nonetheless, even if McLemore’s next contract has to wait until 2021, he’s done enough with the Rockets to eventually cash in. In a bounce-back season, the 6-foot-3 guard is averaging 10.1 points in 22.8 minutes per game, and he’s shooting a team-high 40.6% on 3-pointers.

Considering that Houston is the NBA’s most aggressive team from 3-point range, that makes McLemore especially valuable. At just 27 years old, he should be young enough — whether he’s a free agent in 2020, or 2021 — to receive a significant bump in salary, given his market interest.

Klutch Sports, which McLemore is joining, is arguably the most powerful agency in the NBA these days. Rich Paul’s list of clients includes LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Draymond Green, Ben Simmons, Eric Bledsoe, Montrezl Harrell, and Jusuf Nurkic, among many others.

Klutch does not currently represent any other Rockets player. McLemore had been represented by Jarinn Akana of Dynasty Sports Management.

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James Harden goes for 39 and 12 to lead Rockets past Lakers

Thursday’s win by the Rockets (43-25) over the top-seeded Lakers (51-17) moves Houston back to the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference.

With James Harden and Anthony Davis as the lone All-Star headliners, the Houston Rockets got a much-needed win on Thursday night at the NBA “bubble” over the Los Angeles Lakers.

The 113-97 victory (box score) moves Houston back to the No. 4 spot in the very close race for Western Conference playoff seeding. It’s the third win for the Rockets (43-25) in four games at Disney World.

If Houston finishes at No. 4 or No. 5 in the West, they would be in line to potentially play the top-seeded Lakers (51-17) in the second round of the playoffs. With Thursday’s win, the Rockets secured the regular-season series against Los Angeles by taking two of three games.

Russell Westbrook (right quad contusion) and LeBron James (sore right groin) each sat out with minor injuries, as expected. Neither injury is believed to be a long-term concern.

In Westbrook’s absence, Harden picked up the slack and then some for the Rockets with 39 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists. The All-Star guard hit 11 of his 19 shots (57.9%), including 5-of-10 on 3-pointers (50%). Davis led the Lakers with 17 points and 12 rebounds in 30 minutes.

Ben McLemore started in Westbrook’s place and had 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting (53.8%), while Jeff Green registered yet another quality night off the bench with 15 points in 27 minutes.

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Meanwhile, Houston’s defense limited the Lakers to just 41 points in the second half. It’s the first time in four games in Florida that the Rockets have held their opponent below 100 points for the game.

“Our goal is to defend at a high level, and I think we did that tonight,” said Harden, who explained in his postgame interview that he views defense as the key to a potential championship run for the Rockets.

As of Thursday, the Rockets had played every other day since resuming their 2019-20 regular season last Friday. However, they will now have an extra day off before returning to action on Sunday versus Sacramento (29-39) — which could give Westbrook the extra rest he needs. Head coach Mike D’Antoni said postgame Thursday that he believes Westbrook has a “real good shot” at being ready for that game.

Tip-off between the Rockets and Kings is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Central on Sunday, with the game televised on AT&T SportsNet Southwest.

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