Tag: Mike D’Antoni

After long day, James Harden scores 37 as Rockets crush Knicks

Despite a long travel day, James Harden still led the Rockets (37-20) with 37 points and nine assists. It’s their eighth win in 10 games.

Despite unusually extensive gameday travel, All-Star James Harden still led the Rockets with 37 points and nine assists as Houston cruised to a 123-112 home win (box score) over visiting New York on Monday night.

Harden’s 37 came on 14-of-25 (56.0%) shooting, with 31 of those points coming in the first half. That gave Houston a 15-point halftime advantage, allowing them to lead comfortably throughout the second half.

The Rockets (37-20) have now won four consecutive games and eight of their last 10 overall. Houston led by as many as 25 points in the fourth quarter, but the Knicks cut the final margin to a more respectable 11 after head coach Mike D’Antoni emptied his bench and the former MVP exited.

The Knicks were led by 21 points (8-of-15 shooting) from prized rookie guard RJ Barrett, selected No. 3 overall in the 2019 NBA Draft.

Harden, Russell Westbrook, and P.J. Tucker only arrived at Toyota Center an hour before Monday’s tip-off, since they were in Los Angeles during the day for Kobe Bryant’s memorial service. But against the lowly Knicks (17-40), any fatigue from the day’s events didn’t slow down Harden.

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Westbrook did not play due to left thumb soreness, though D’Antoni indicated postgame that it wasn’t a major concern.

Starting in Westbrook’s place, Eric Gordon scored 16 points and had a team-best point differential of +16 in his 26 minutes. However, Gordon left the game early in the second half with a sore knee.

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Off the bench, reserve guards Austin Rivers and Ben McLemore each continued their hot shooting of late with a combined 31 points on 6-of-12 (50.0%) from behind the 3-point arc.

In their home debuts, veteran newcomers Jeff Green and DeMarre Carroll added 16 points between them on 6-of-8 shooting (75.0%).

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Among frontcourt starters, Robert Covington led the way with 11 points (3-of-8 on 3-pointers), seven rebounds, and four blocks — extending his streak to four consecutive games with three or more blocked shots.

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The Rockets will wrap up a brief two-game homestand when they host the Memphis Grizzlies (28-28) and Rookie of the Year frontrunner Ja Morant on Wednesday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. Central time from Toyota Center, and the game will be nationally televised on ESPN.