Rockets whip Pacers, push win streak to 6
Streak reaches 6 on the strength of a grueling back-to-back
James Harden leads the way with 26 points and 15 assists as the Rockets blow out the Pacers for their sixth straight win.
INDIANAPOLIS — Like a favorite pair of well-worn jeans, that December back-to-back last season served the Rockets long and well but eventually had to be replaced. Sunday, the Rockets got themselves a worthy successor.
The Rockets had often referred to those wins at Golden State and Denver, under trying travel circumstances, to tell them that they could overcome the challenges that come in an NBA season.
The memory of that back-to-back, with the sunrise arrival in Denver after the overtime win in California, was as comfortable as it was inspiring.
They even called upon it one more time Sunday as they went from the victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night in Houston to an early start against the Pacers in Indianapolis.
When the Rockets (11-3) finished the weekend back-to-back with a second consecutive blowout, finishing off the Pacers 118-95 exactly 24 hours after they tipped off against the Grizzlies, they had the sort of weekend that could be more valuable than even the two wins and a place atop the Western Conference standings.
“We’re getting better,” guard James Harden said. “We’re getting better each and every guy, each and every possession. That’s what we’re preaching.”
‘A professional win’
The weekend sweep pushed the Rockets’ winning streak to six games and their road record to an NBA-best 7-1. But the games against the Grizzlies and Pacers always loomed as a clear challenge, with Memphis beating the Rockets in two October meetings this season and Indiana prevailing in both meetings last season.
After the Rockets routed the Grizzlies 111-96, they did not arrive at their Indianapolis hotel until 3 a.m. They had made 38.6 percent of their shots against the Pacers last season, losing by an average of 14 points. But as they had Saturday, they rushed to a rapid, double-digit lead and never trailed, winning by their largest margin in Indianapolis.
“A lot of the guys said it, ‘a professional win,’ ” Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said. “Came in and took care of business right from the get-go. Looked like we had enough energy, obviously, and we played well, and we’ve been playing well.
“We talked about (last December’s back-to-back). We went into Denver and won that game. A little bit like this.
“This is just another game. But for us, internally, we’re thinking, ‘We can do this.’ It was huge for us.”
It also was the latest game in which James Harden looked unstoppable, dominating Sunday even without his recent shooting touch. He had 26 points and a season-high 15 assists with the Rockets outscoring the Pacers by 26 points in his 33½ minutes on the floor.
In the Rockets’ winning streak, Harden has averaged 35.8 points and 11.5 assists, while making 49.2 percent of his shots and 44.7 percent of his 3-pointers.
“I’m just trying to be aggressive,” Harden said. “Be aggressive and good things happen, whether it’s for you or for your teammates. I really don’t predetermine anything. I go into the game with the mindset of being aggressive and positive things will happen.”
‘I surprised myself ’
Eric Gordon added 21 points, giving him at least 20 in 11 of the 13 games he has played. Clint Capela had 20 points and 17 rebounds, both matching the second most of his career. And as with the Rockets themselves, the challenge of the schedule allowed Capela to learn something about himself and what he can do.
“I surprised myself,” Capela said. “My body felt great. My body is getting better and stronger every single year. I feel my body doesn’t have limits. Even when today I felt like, ‘Oh, today is going to be hard,’ I start playing hard and I’m like ‘Wow, I feel great.’ ”
With Harden playmaking and Capela finishing — Harden twice delivered between-the-legs, no-look passes to his rolling big man — the Rockets were never threatened with the starters on the floor.
They began the game with a 13-2 run and took control in the third quarter when the Pacers made 27.3 percent of their shots.
But more than the details of how they won, the Rockets were most encouraged by the circumstances they refused to accept as an excuse to lose, and as a reminder to use in the tests ahead.
“It was a very difficult back-to-back, coming Houston to here, and it’s good to get a win like this,” Gordon said. “That was the toughest one, Golden State to Denver, but this one was similar.
“We feel we can win every game, no matter what the schedule is.”