Sacramento Kings vs. Houston Rockets: Postgame Grades and Analysis for Houston

The Houston Rockets got a couple of excellent performances from James Harden and Omer Asik in a 121-100 blowout win over the Sacramento Kings that nosed Houston into the No. 6 playoff spot in the West.

Technically, the Rockets are tied with the Golden State Warriors in the standings, but a 3-1 series advantage this year gives Houston the tie-breaking edge on the sixth slot.

Harden led his team with 29 points in just 32 minutes, while Asik chipped in with 10 points and 12 boards.

Houston's pace was too much for the embarrassingly undisciplined Kings from the word "go," as the Rockets had ample transition opportunities and more open looks in the half court than they could have possibly hoped for.

Thanks to 54 percent shooting from the field, 13 made triples and 33 fast-break points, the Rockets removed any doubt about this game's result in the very early going. What's less certain is how they'll fare against a team that plays with more heart than the Kings.

Weak opponents aside, Houston got Chandler Parsons back, shot the lights out and won by a wide enough margin to afford its starters plenty of rest. The real test starts in a few days when the postseason kicks off, but it's still worth grading the Rockets on one of their final regular season quizzes.

Point Guard

Jeremy Lin: B-

Jeremy Lin had been playing some of his best basketball in months lately. Over the five games leading up to the Rockets' clash with the Kings, the point guard had been averaging 18 points and 7.4 assists per game while shooting 45 percent from the field and 36 percent from long range.

Every one of those figures are better than his season numbers.

Despite the up-and-down tempo of Houston's track meet with Sacramento, Lin couldn't manage to equal the stats he'd been putting up recently. But his output was nothing to be ashamed of, either.

On the night, Lin finished with 15 points, two assists and four rebounds on 4-of-8 shooting. That stat line is just fine, especially considering he only played 26 minutes.

Stats don't tell the whole story, though.

Lin continued his maddening, season-long habit of picking up his dribble without having a plan for what to do with the ball. When he stymies himself like that, Houston's typically smooth-running offense grinds to a halt. He turned the ball over three times against the Kings and killed a handful of possessions by committing that same error, and it's not like Sacramento is known for its pressure defense.

Until Lin shakes his inexplicable habit, Houston's offense is going to be somewhat vulnerable.

Shooting Guard

James Harden: A

Against the Kings, Harden played like a guy trying to wash a bitter taste out of his mouth.

Perhaps it was the 7-of-24 shooting performance against the Memphis Grizzlies on April 13 that he hoped to cleanse from his palate. Or maybe it was the eight turnovers and the disappointing loss in that same game that bothered him.

Whatever the cause, the Rockets' No. 1 option got after it early against the sloppy Kings, turning steals into transition buckets and knocking down shots from all over the floor. He tallied 23 first-half points on 9-of-11 shooting.

Harden is a tough player to handle under any circumstances, but the clueless Kings hardly even slowed him down with their disorganized and scheme-less defensive approach.

Whatever the Beard wanted, the Beard got.

On the night, the league's fifth-leading scorer finished with 29 points, nine assists and four rebounds on 11-of-16 shooting.

He looks to be in prime form with the postseason just around the corner.

Small Forward

Chandler Parsons: B

Parsons looked none the worse for wear in his first game back after missing four straight with a sore calf, totaling 13 points, five assists and five rebounds against the Kings.

Playing on a 30-minute limit imposed by coach Kevin McHale, Parsons scored 11 in the first half on 4-of-6 shooting and followed it up with just two after earning an early exit in the third quarter. His scoring was a big reason for the Rockets' comfortable lead.

Of course, it's only fair to mention the defensive warts that mar Parsons' great offensive game. One particular third-quarter play pretty much encapsulated the way he can be so impressive on one end but so damaging on the other.

After catching a high-wire lob on the break to put the Rockets up by 25, Parsons got lost—not once, but twice—on defensive rotations on Sacramento's ensuing possession. He allowed a wide open corner three and totally lost sight of his man after the Kings secured the offensive board, permitting a backdoor cut that yielded an easy look.

Of course, because the Kings have ineptitude down to a science, neither blunder led to points. Still, an objective review of Parsons' game tonight has to include a little criticism for his D.

Overall, it's a good sign for Houston that Parsons' health appears to have improved, as he is a key piece in its high-octane attack. At full strength, he gives the Rockets a dynamic scorer who is as dangerous as an off-ball cutter in half court sets as he is on the wing in transition.

And as a floor-stretching shooter who has actually played a lot of small-ball since the Rockets dealt Patrick Patterson and Marcus Morris, Parsons gives Houston a surprisingly effective gimmick to throw at teams that don't want to take their big guys off the floor.

A little more work on defense certainly couldn't hurt, though.

Power Forward

Greg Smith: B

The Rockets don't need much from Greg Smith, and if it's possible to pay him a compliment by saying he delivered on Houston's minimal expectations, consider that compliment paid.

Smith rarely has plays run for him and is instead required to get his numbers by working hard on the boards and running out in transition. (You'll note by now that everyone on the Rockets relies on transition opportunities to get their points.)

Smith finished with 11 points, five rebounds and two assists, and although he didn't produce much flash, he set good screens, competed in the paint and even drew a phantom technical foul on DeMarcus Cousins when he flopped after grazing the Kings' center after he made a basket.

All in all, Houston's power forward exceeded his averages of 9.3 points and 5.4 rebounds as a starter. So his effort deserves a solid grade.

Center

Omer Asik: B+

It's old hat to point out the elite interior defense and terrific rebounding efforts that Omer Asik puts forth every night. But before moving on, it's worth spinning that broken record one more time.

Asik—as he has been all season—was the only Rocket to control the lane on defense. His presence in the paint helped turn Cousins into a jump shooter from the top of the circle, which all but eliminated any post-up opportunities the Kings got.

But the best moment of Asik's night was a phenomenally awkward lefty hook that he somehow tossed in from about seven feet away in the third quarter. Asik's hands and finesse have never been among his greatest assets, so his "moves" underneath are often more entertaining than they are effective.

This one was both.

In 26 minutes, Houston's center notched 10 points and 12 rebounds on 4-of-9 shooting. Those numbers would have been good enough for a "B," but that ridiculous hook is worth a little extra credit.

Sixth Man

Terrence Jones: B

Thanks to a big lead that kept the game out of reach for nearly the entire 48 minutes, plenty of Rocket reserves saw solid allotments of playing time.

But none was quite as spectacular as rookie Terrence Jones.

The Kentucky product finished with nine points and three rebounds in 20 minutes, but his five blocks and three steals were easily his most notable contributions. After all, with the outcome essentially decided in the first quarter, it was nice to have a reason to keep paying attention as both clubs went through the formality of playing the final three quarters.

Jones was a blur on defense, swatting away lazy shots and snatching loose balls in the passing lanes. One particular steal led to a thunderous breakaway dunk that Kings center Cole Aldrich was wise enough not to contest.

Highlight slams and big swats are precisely what a good sixth man provides in a blowout like this. Nicely done, Mr. Jones.

Bench

Bench Grade: C

There needs to be a new term for the kind of situation we saw at the tail end of the game between the Rockets and Kings.

Not only was this one a laugher from the opening tip, but the Kings are also comically disorganized, disinterested and lazy. Throw in the fact that they're just going through the motions as they finish out the season and "garbage time" is hardly harsh enough to describe what we saw in the fourth quarter.

Medical waste time? Biohazard time? I'll keep working on it.

Anyway, the Rockets' subs were more than happy to engage in such a pressure-free second half. Eight players logged at least three minutes off the bench and seven of them scored.

Outside of Jones, who we already covered, Carlos Delfino probably had the best performance. His 14 points, four assists and three rebounds led the way for the rest of Houston's subs.

As a unit, the "non-Jones" subs shot 13-of-27 and never let the Rockets' big lead shrink enough to give the Kings hope. Still, because the competition was so poor and the stakes so low, it's just too hard to term the bench's performance as anything more than "average."