Harden, Rockets nip Detroit
Missed free throws almost prove costly vs. Pistons.
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — James Harden missed a pair of free throws, but he was sure the next ones would go.
He was wrong. He missed another. And then another. And then another, missing five in the final 2:15, typifying the Rockets’ apparent determination to help the Pistons in ways surprising and inexplicable.
The Pistons would not have stolen the win. They needed only to tear through the gift-wrapping. But as often as the Rockets gave Detroit extra chances, the Pistons gave them back until the Rockets’ largesse ran out Monday night and they left the Palace of Auburn Hills for the last time with a 99-96 win they might like to soon forget but beat the alternative.
“We have a long way to go. We’re figuring things out still,” Rockets forward Ryan Anderson said. “The game could have swung their way, but we got some big stops and the result is a win. That’s all that matters right now.”
The Rockets could accept Harden missing free throws. He was 10-of-10 from the line before going 4-of-9 in the final minutes.
“I just have to make free throws,” Harden said of the difficulty securing the win. “That’s all. Make free throws. Win the game. It’s pretty simple. With that being said, it’s a good road win for us. We’ll take it.”
Several miscues
But the Rockets invited the Pistons back into the game in a variety of ways before Harden’s issues from the line took over with the game tied with less than three minutes remaining. They were up 10 in the third quarter when Nene grabbed a rebound and took a flagrant offensive foul for tripping Aron Baynes on his way up the court.
“I thought we made a couple unfortunate plays,” Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said. “The flagrant. We had the ball up 10 and had numbers (on a break). The next time, we were up (six.)”
Asked what happened on that play, Nene said: “The game was good, yeah. It was a great victory.”
Asked again, he said: “There was a lot of plays in the game. The game was good. It was a great victory. I’m not going to talk about fouls they called. There were many fouls in the game.”
The Rockets led by 11 heading into the final minute of the third quarter, but again they helped bring the Pistons back in the game. Nene committed his third offensive foul in a span of four minutes. Harden missed a 3. The Pistons scored seven points in 50 seconds.
“It’s not a concern yet, but we got to learn how to close out games,” Rockets forward Corey Brewer said. “We’re winning. When you start losing games like that, that’s when it gets tough.”
Once the Pistons got rolling, they went from that 11-point deficit to lead by four midway through the fourth quarter.
The Rockets recovered in time, with Trevor Ariza hitting a pair of 3s, to take a lead into the final three minutes.
But when it was Harden’s time to put the game away, he reminded of all the reasons the game was tight late.
Not to be outdone
The Pistons might have felt the same way with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who had 26 points, missing a free throw that could have tied the game with nine seconds left. After Harden made one of two free throws for a two-point lead, Clint Capela fouled Andre Drummond with 4.6 seconds left, committing the foul the Rockets had instructed when they thought Harden would give them a lead.
Drummond, a 51.3 percent shooter, missed both and after Harden again made one of two free throws, the Rockets had the win, and confidence they can work on issues other than their best player’s free throw shooting.
“That’s not normal,” D’Antoni said. “At the same time, he had 28, 11 (assists) and eight (rebounds) and he’s in there thinking he played bad. His bar is up there pretty high.”