James Harden, Chris Paul Brilliant as Rockets Rout Clippers
The Houston Rockets avoided a season sweep against the Los Angeles Clippers with a 135-103 victory in Wednesday's Western Conference showdown at Staples Center.
Houston has now won four games in a row with its first victory in three tries against Los Angeles, while the Clippers saw their own two-game winning streak come to an end. Los Angeles was an impressive 13-2 in its previous 15 before the loss.
The backcourt duo of James Harden (31 points, seven assists and seven rebounds) and Chris Paul (29 points, seven assists and four rebounds), as well as Clint Capela (24 points and 15 rebounds), led the way for the Rockets and overwhelmed the home team while the contest was still hanging in the balance.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander spearheaded the effort for the Clippers in defeat with 20 points, four assists, four rebounds and two steals.
Rockets Need Consistent CP3 to Emerge for Western Conference Playoffs
Houston has a weapon no other team in the league can replicate in Harden.
The reigning MVP has arguably the most unguardable move in the NBA with his step-back three, and few in league history can draw contact like he does attacking the rim. That leads to free throws or defenders playing with additional caution, which in turn creates additional easy looks.
The Rockets know what they have with Harden and will continue going to him in crunch time as they look to take the next step. What they don't know, though, is what version of Paul they will get in the playoffs, and the only way they will emerge from the daunting Western Conference playoffs is with consistent excellence from the point guard.
There is no questioning Paul's resume.
He is an eight-time All-NBA selection, nine-time All-Star, nine-time All-Defensive selection, six-time steals champion, four-time assists champion and a Rookie of the Year as one of the best players of his generation and a future Hall of Famer.
Still, he turns 34 years old in May. This is also his 14th season in the league and will be his 11th playoffs, and it is fair to wonder about wear and tear given his physical style of play.
Consistency has also been an issue for Paul during the stretch run this season. His last five games are a testament to it, as he averaged 8.7 points a night on a combined 2-of-17 shooting from three-point range (11.8 percent) against the New Orleans Pelicans (March 24), Denver Nuggets (Thursday) and Sacramento Kings (Tuesday).
However, he tallied 19 points, nine rebounds and four assists on March 26 against the Milwaukee Bucks and 22 points, five assists and four steals on Saturday against the Kings. He also shot a combined 7-of-17 from deep (41.2 percent) in those contests.
The effective version of Paul showed up against his former team Wednesday, stifling Los Angeles' ball-handlers at times, darting through the defense, hitting teammates with lobs and skip passes, and drilling five three-pointers whenever defenders gave him too much space.
He mixed in a buzzer-beater from beyond half court to end the third quarter just for good measure.
The performance was an encouraging sign because Harden cannot carry this team by himself in the playoffs.
Paul's importance was never more evident than last season's Western Conference Finals when he suffered a hamstring injury and missed the final two games as the Rockets blew a 3-2 lead against the Golden State Warriors.
Houston needs his tendency to create to take the pressure off Harden and his defensive prowess and physicality to counter the talented backcourt players in the West. It could face a combination of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, Donovan Mitchell or Russell Westbrook in the Western Conference backcourts alone.
It is asking too much of Harden to guard some of those playmakers and carry the offense as well in games featuring postseason intensity, which means it will be up to Paul to provide enough secondary support to lift the Rockets to the next level after just missing the NBA Finals a year ago.
What's Next?
Both teams are in action Friday, with the Rockets hosting the New York Knicks and the Clippers facing the Los Angeles Lakers.
