USA TODAY International Edition
Harden: Foes energized playing against the Rockets
LOS ANGELES – James Harden has warned his Rockets teammates that life with be tougher this season because they are now one of the NBA’s “targeted” teams. The Rockets have had a slow start, winning once in three games, with the victory coming in the infamous fightmarred matchup against the Lakers. That was sandwiched between defeats at home to the Pelicans and in Los Angeles against the Clippers, and Harden already has noticed a trend. “For sure,” he said, when asked if teams are playing tougher and more physically against Houston this season. “The success we have been having, obviously we haven’t won a championship yet, but the way we have been playing we have done pretty well. “So whenever we are at home and teams come to our home court, or we are on the road, they get up for us so we have got to be ready for that. They play harder; they play a lot more confident. We just got to figure it out.” The Pelicans, led by dominant center Anthony Davis, thumped the Rockets by 19 points. On Saturday in Los Angeles, the Lakers also brought physicality and intensity, and the fiery nature of the contest set the foundation for the violent flurry that ultimately led to a twogame ban for Chris Paul. (The Lakers’ Brandon Ingram and Rajon Rondo also were suspended). The Clippers also seemed energized at the prospect of facing a team picked by many as a genuine contender for the championship and were worthy threepoint winners. “Don’t write us off yet,” new addition Carmelo Anthony said, with a smile. “From what I have seen, I think (the team) is in the same position we was in last year. Trying to work it out, figure it out and get it going.” Last season, however, the Rockets beat Golden State in their first game, won 16 of the first 20 and ended up with 65 wins and a No. 1 seed. But Anthony was adamant that the changes implemented in the offseason, including his arrival, would take time to reap rewards. “(Teams) can target us, but we got to get better, we all know that,” Anthony added. “It is an early three games, we will get better, we will figure it out as the season goes along. We know what is at stake. We know what we want. We know what we got to do . ... Anything new doesn’t happen and doesn’t come together overnight.”