James Harden Drops 51 Points as Rockets Blow 15-Point Lead in Loss to Clippers
Taking advantage of Chris Paul's absence, the Los Angeles Clippers rode a huge second half to a 128-118 victory over the Houston Rockets on Friday at the Toyota Center.
The Clippers were down by 10 at the end of the first quarter and trailed by as many as 15 points, but they outscored Houston 35-20 in the third quarter to erase that deficit. Austin Rivers led Los Angeles' scoring barrage with a career-high 36 points, while DeAndre Jordan dominated on the glass with 20 rebounds.
Taking a cue from Houston's playbook, the Clippers shot lights-out from three-point range by hitting 18 of 42 attempts behind the arc. Lou Williams connected on seven of them as he finished with 32 points off the bench.
James Harden scored 51 points for the second straight game, both Houston losses. He also dished out eight assists and grabbed four rebounds.
The 2017-18 Rockets defense is the biggest change for Houston compared to recent years with Harden. The team entered Friday ranked seventh in defensive efficiency, allowing 105.2 points per 100 possessions, according to Basketball Reference.
The Clippers had no problems attacking the Rockets, who were without Clint Capela for the second straight contest, and scoring a season high in points.
Critics will point toward this type of game when arguing the Rockets can't compete with the Golden State Warriors in the NBA playoffs. Houston was up 65-52 heading into the third quarter and looked likely to cruise to victory before it folded down the stretch.
Harden endured his share of criticism in the 2017 playoffs, when he scored just 10 points in the 114-75 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
Former Rockets general manager Kevin McHale told NBA TV's Open Court in October he didn't view Harden as a leader.
It seems Paul is the engine that drives the machine in Houston. He left Wednesday's game against the Lakers early in the fourth quarter, and the Rockets lost 122-116 even though Harden had 51 points.
In that game, at least the Rockets were down by seven points when Paul left. There is no excuse for blowing a 67-52 lead at home against a Clippers team that entered Friday with a 12-18 record and whose last two wins were over the Orlando Magic and Phoenix Suns.
Los Angeles went on a 22-7 run that tied the game at 74 midway through the third quarter, and Rivers, who has taken over at point guard with Patrick Beverley out for the season, led the Clippers' comeback effort with 15 points during that stretch.
Williams gave the Clippers their first lead at 84-82 with a three-pointer in the final minute of the third.
Comedian Josiah Johnson had this amusing take about Rivers' performance Friday:
Lil Cutty noted Rivers looked similar to the Rockets' superstar with his moves and his scoring prowess:
Per ESPN Stats & Info, Harden's fast start and big first half put him well ahead of the rest of the NBA:
NBA.com/Stats noted Houston's MVP candidate did something no player has done in 10 years:
That would seem like more than enough to ensure a Rockets win, but this wasn't an average night for the team that came into Friday with the best record in the Western Conference.
The defense gave up 76 points in the second half, and the Clippers bench went off for 62 points total. Rivers and Jordan (15 points) were the only L.A. starters to reach double figures in scoring.
Over the course of an 82-game season, every team is going to have some bad days. The Rockets were coming off one poor effort against the Lakers and hoping to rebound Friday.
Instead, the Clippers showed signs of life in what's been an otherwise frustrating season. Head coach Doc Rivers is still learning to play with a roster that is missing Beverley and Blake Griffin. This was an excellent first step in the process as Los Angeles tries to turn around its 2017-18 campaign heading into the new year.
The Clippers next play Saturday when they take on the Memphis Grizzlies at the FedEx Forum, while the Rockets have the weekend off before facing the Oklahoma City Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena on Christmas Day.
