Rockets reign in matchup with King James
Comeback from 14 down sends message
James Harden collects his 16th triple-double of the season to outduel LeBron James as the Rockets top the defending champs.
Not long after Pat Beverley nailed his dagger 3-pointer and bopped his way down the court with shouts of “How do you like me now?” — a question and statement that could have spoken for the Rockets as a whole — he insisted the win was no big deal. The Rockets always considered themselves in that exclusive club that takes the NBA stage and leaves it with wins like Sunday’s 117-112 comeback stunner over the Cavaliers.
They had beaten the previous champion. They had moved past the Cavs for the third-best record in the NBA. They said they could beat anyone and meant it. They believed they had shown themselves worthy of their champion-
ship aspirations.
They knew, however, they needed a night like Sunday and 18,055 roaring with them at Toyota Center.
“We’ve proven it, but it’s been awhile,” guard James Harden said. “We let one go in San Antonio. Tonight was a big game for us. We have to rock this momentum … into the postseason.”
The Rockets rallied from a 14-point deficit to sweep to a nine-point fourthquarter lead. Harden had his 16th triple-double, scoring 38 points and coming up with defensive stands that set the tone for the rally. Beverley scored eight of his 13 points in the fourth quarter, tormenting the Cavaliers with offensive rebounds. Nene and Clint Capela combined for 20 points and 17 rebounds.
They rallied against a Cavaliers team that, at least for a half, looked every bit a champion.
“For us, this was a big win in the sense of, you know, the champions,” coach Mike D’Antoni said. “We haven’t had one in a while. We beat Golden State. We beat San Antonio. But that was early.”
The Rockets are one of three teams — with Memphis and Chicago — to have beaten the Spurs, Warriors and Cavaliers this season. But how they did it might have been as significant as Sunday’s opponent.
The Rockets simplified their defense in the second half, switching on screens and challenging themselves to somehow stop the offensive assaults of LeBron James and Kyrie Irving that had toasted them for a half.
The Cavaliers made 63.4 percent of their shots in the first half, scoring 41 points in the second quarter, the most the Rockets have allowed this season.
They shot 42 percent and committed eight turnovers in the second half.
“We had to man up,” Harden said. “Guard the ball individually, one-onone. Make them take tough shots and rebound the basketball. The third quarter, we just locked in and made them make tough shots.”
When the Rockets turned things around with a 21-5 run, they made eight of 17 shots without a turnover, while the Cavaliers went 2-of-10 with four turnovers.
“That is (about) having trust in your teammates,” Trevor Ariza said. “It’s having trust in our system, having trust in what we do. That is what we wanted to do, and it worked for us.”
The Rockets almost did not care who had to defend James or Irving, who had combined for 33 first-half points on 13-of-18 shooting. They stayed with the Cavs’ shooters and trusted they could somehow defend Cleveland’s stars.
“You know, that’s the only way you can guard these guys,” D’Antoni said. “And if they keep hitting the way they did, with a hand in their face, so be it. We just kept telling them, ‘Just stay in there. Hang in there. Hang in there.’ ”
The Rockets did, dramatically improving defensively. But they still had to make plays to hold off the Cavaliers down the stretch. Twice Pat Beverley came away with offensive rebounds as the Rockets outscored the Cavs 15-7 in second-chance points and outrebounded them 52-38 in a dramatic turnaround from when D’Antoni called them soft on Feb. 27.
Finally, with 1:53 left, Beverley hit his corner 3, and the Rockets knew they had a signature win, even if he insisted it was what he expected all along.
“I feel like we’re not worried about who we’re playing,” Beverley said. “Other teams are worried about us. Of course, on the back of the jersey, you’ve got LeBron James.
“But it’s just one game. We don’t get a trophy for this game. There’s no parade for this game.”
There was, however, a statement made, whether it came in a defiant shout in the final minutes or via quiet confidence afterward.