Force awakens in time to keep faithful believing
It was completely understandable.
Arriving more than two hours before the start, just to stand in line with likeminded strangers who all had one unifying passion in common. Dressing up and proudly wearing favorite T-shirts that displayed the most famous faces and names.
I wish I could tell you it was all for the NBA’s best team, which had just returned home after a 10-day road trip and now possesses a sparkling 21-4 record.
But it was Star Wars night Monday at Toyota Center. And there was a limited edition JamesHarden-as-a-Jedi bobblehead that those strong in the Force just had to have.
The above lines would have been a ready-made joke in previous years. For all the constant scoring, huge numbers and near MVP seasons, the Rockets had annually let us down when it really mattered most (the playoffs).
Receiving a full buy-in on belief was rare — and normally not wise for your long-term mental health.
But even with the unofficial start of a new NBA season still two weeks away — Christmas Day is when football lovers finally
start casually tuning in — it’s been impossible not to believe in these Rockets this year.
Of course, allowing the Anthony Davis-less New Orleans Pelicans to shoot 60.6 percent from the field (58.6 percent on 3-pointers) and score 103 points before the fourth quarter didn’t help the cause.
But it still ended up as 130-123 NBA’s best, and all was safe in the galaxy for one more night.
“This is, for sure, the best team I’ve been on,” said guard Eric Gordon, one of four Rockets to score at least 20 points. “We can change up so many lineups to where we can have a chance to win.”
Winning is all they’ve been doing: 10 consecutive games and 16 of 17. The Rockets have only one defeat since Nov. 1, the same day the Astros won the World Series and when the Texans were just getting over the sudden loss of Deshaun Watson. And while they’re still literally shooting the lights out every night, they more importantly rank fifth in the league in defensive rating (101.6).
Advanced chemistry
Chris Paul and Harden are clearly clicking as a duo. P.J. Tucker and Luc Mbah a Moute have fit in perfectly.
And while the basketball machine turned into a limited-edition Jedi leads the NBA in scoring (32.3) and ranks second in assists (9.2), a deeper and more experienced version of the Mike D’Antoni Show has initially proved it can hang with (and beat) anybody in the NBA.
“For sure. Anybody … any given night,” said Tucker, who recorded only three points but helped change the game with his fourth-quarter defense of DeMarcus Cousins, who was limited to five points on 1-of-5 shooting while the Rockets outscored the Pelicans 34-20 in the period.
Heck, even the chemistry — which D’Antoni described as “great” during a 55-win campaign last season — has improved.
“The thing that probably the difference comes from (is) having people like P.J. and Mbah a Moute and Chris … the experience on top of the good chemistry,” the 201617 Coach of the Year said. “And what they can bring is a maturity to a team that is ready to win right now.”
Home court thoughts
I’m going to spend the rest of this season typing that these Rockets will still have to prove their real worth in the postseason during Year Two of D’Antoni.
After Harden and Game 6, I entered the season believing that anything less than a trip to the Western Conference finals would be a serious disappointment. Harden has become so good that he belongs back on that defining stage.
Add in what we’ve witnessed thus far from total pro Paul, and yes, this team could make the superpower Warriors sweat in seven.
So it’s not too early to think about home-court advantage. It’s only midDecember, but fighting back to take down the Pelicans means something when you remember the Rockets finished six games behind San Antonio and 12 behind Golden State last year.
From down 101-88 late in the third quarter to Paul taking over — eight points, a steal and a rebound in the final 1:56 of the period — and Clint Capela (career-high 28 points) throwing it down over Cousins late. Then Harden taking control during another MVPcaliber night when he finished with 26 points, 17 assists and four made 3s.
“At the end, he just puts daggers in people,” D’Antoni said.
Come for the Jedi bobblehead and the space characters. Stay for and watch the real show: these NBA-best Rockets.