Rockets vs. Spurs: Score, Highlights, Reaction from 2016 Regular Season
James Harden made the San Antonio Spurs (5-3) look mortal Wednesday night, as the Houston Rockets (5-3) escaped AT&T Center with a 101-99 win thanks to a triple-double from their statistical savant.
Harden finished with 24 points, 15 assists and 12 rebounds, marking the fifth time this season he's topped topped 20 points and 15 assists in a game. To put that achievement in perspective, there were 19 instances of at least 20 points and 15 dimes all of last season.
Harden—the league's assist leader—also became the first Rockets player with at least 10 assists in five straight games since Sleepy Floyd in 1990, according to the the team's official Twitter account.
How's that for backing up brazen statements?
Kawhi Leonard poured in a game-high 34 points (11-of-26 shooting, 4-of-6 from three) for the Spurs. The 25-year-old has now scored at least 30 points in four games this season after achieving that feat four times over the first five seasons of his career.
However, the Spurs have dropped three games in a row at home after losing just one game in front of their fans last season.
The Spurs trailed by as many as 13 points in the first half, but they clawed back within three by halftime with Leonard leading the scoring charge.
However, San Antonio had no answer for Harden, as seen in this video courtesy of the NBA:
The bearded wonder finished the first half with 14 points and nine assists, and his play was supplemented by some superlative shooting from the bench. Sam Dekker (10 points) had a new career high by the time the first half was over, and Eric Gordon filled it up with 13 points in his first 15 minutes.
Houston went on to post 63 points by the time the second-quarter buzzer sounded, and that number was significant.
Not only did it reflect how well the Rockets ran the floor and executed their spread pick-and-roll sets, but it marked the first time since 1997 the Spurs allowed 60-plus points in back-to-back first halves, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
The Spurs' defensive struggles continued through the third quarter, namely because Harden couldn't be stopped.
As his numbers climbed higher throughout the second half, the Spurs had no answer when the Rockets were able to get switches in the pick-and-roll, according to Project Spurs' Paul Garcia:
The NBA's official Twitter account provided a look at a gorgeous no-look feed from Harden to Gordon after Houston's microwave scorer curled off a screen from Nene:
And as is tradition, Harden glided through the interior of San Antonio's defense with a smooth Eurostep, as documented by the Rockets on Twitter:
The Spurs briefly took the lead early in the final stanza with Harden on the bench, but the Rockets offense was reignited when he returned.
And while San Antonio played the cleaner fourth quarter, the Rockets came up with a clutch stop on the final possession of the game and escaped with a hard-fought win buoyed by Harden's great line.
The Spurs are now in somewhat uncharted territory after dropping their third straight game at home, but a date with the 4-4 Detroit Pistons on Friday at AT&T Center gives them a chance to rebound and get back on track.
As for the Rockets, they'll be off until Saturday when the Spurs come to Houston and try to return the favor with a statement win at Toyota Center.
Postgame Reaction
"This is probably our best win," Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni said, according to the Houston Chronicle's Jonathan Feigen. "Any time you beat a team like this on the road, it’s a signature win."
Ryan Anderson, who finished with 20 points, didn't hesitate to agree with D'Antoni.
"We've proven we can beat great teams," he said, according to ClutchFans. "This is one of the best at home...tough place to play. To get a win here is huge."
"We can score with the best of them," Harden added, per Feigen. "Defensively, to hold a team like that under 100 points speaks a lot. It was important for us."
Back in the Spurs locker room, Leonard explained what went wrong in the loss, according to the San Antonio Express-News' Jabari Young:
Young also relayed video of LaMarcus Aldridge discussing San Antonio's third straight home loss:
"I think we're digging ourselves in a hole too early," Danny Green said, per Garcia.
