James Harden, Rockets Blast Past Spurs for 19th Win in Last 20 Games
A matchup between one of the hottest teams in the NBA against one of the coldest went pretty much as expected.
The Houston Rockets earned their 19th win in the last 20 games with a 109-93 victory over the San Antonio Spurs Monday at Toyota Center.
James Harden scored 28 points to help the Rockets improve to an NBA-best 53-14. The Spurs, who were playing without LaMarcus Aldridge and Manu Ginobili, dropped to 37-30 with the loss, falling to 2-9 in the last 11 games.
It wasn't the most efficient game for Harden, who shot just 6-of-17 from the field. He was part of teamwide struggles from the perimeter, with the Rockets finishing 13-of-44 (29.5 percent) from three-point range.
However, the MVP candidate hit all 14 of his shots from the free-throw line and used a big second half to help pull away.
He also got a lot of help from Chris Paul, who had 18 points and nine assists in the win. As Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype noted, the team is downright scary with Harden, Paul and Clint Capela healthy:
The Spurs likely didn't have too much confidence going into the game, resting Ginobili and keeping Aldridge out because of right knee soreness, per the team's account. On the first night of a back-to-back against the best team in basketball, it was hard to blame them.
Houston took advantage and jumped out to a 19-4 lead, leading the entire first half behind some outstanding passing from Harden and Paul:
San Antonio only had 10 points from its starters in the first half but managed to stay within striking distance while trailing 54-43 at halftime.
It didn't get much closer from there, though, as a 34-point third quarter from Houston helped the home team take control. After going up as many as 23 points in the fourth quarter, the Rockets were able to rest their starters and cruise to victory.
Although the Spurs had five players in double figures, it was an unimpressive day on both ends of the court. The most notable performance came from rookie first-round pick Derrick White, who scored a season-high 14 points in his return from a wrist injury.
San Antonio will now kick off a six-game homestand with a matchup against the Orlando Magic Tuesday, hoping to move back near the top of the Western Conference standings. Houston will host the Los Angeles Clippers Thursday in what has become an interesting rivalry.
