Rockets roll on as Spurs problems deepen
los angeles — James Harden scored 28 points as the Houston Rockets tightened their grip on first place in the Western Conference on Monday with a 109-93 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
Another inspirational display from MVP-candidate Harden included six rebounds and six assists as the Rockets delighted their home fans to improve to 53 and 14 at the top of the standings. The Rockets now have a twogame advantage over the Golden State Warriors as the playoffs approach, meaning they are in pole position to retain home advantage through the postseason.
Harden was backed by 18 points from point guard Chris Paul, who had nine assists and three rebounds. Trevor Ariza added 15 points while big man Clint Capela scored 13 with nine rebounds. Gerald Green added 14 off the bench. The victory also means Golden State are assured of a playoff berth for a sixth straight season.
Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni paid tribute to his team’s stamina during a gruelling recent run of fixtures. “We’ve played a lot of games in 10 days,” D’Antoni said. “To have the legs and be able to do what they’re doing and put the game away is pretty good.” D’Antoni said his team would now be focused on finishing first while ensuring their squad would be at full fitness for the playoffs.
“We want to finish first, get home court advantage, make sure everybody’s healthy,” D’Antoni said.
Injury-hit San Antonio have struggled in the absence of Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge. —