HARDEN, CAPELA FUEL WIN OVER 76ERS
Star guard’s first triple-double of season, Capela’s 30 subdue Philly
Rockets guard James Harden needed just a few minutes, just a few good, long looks at the 76ers’ defense. Then, the game was his.
He would dominate the second quarter and roll in the third. He would take over the closing minutes when the Sixers made things tight and the Rockets had seemed to have run out of offense too early.
But it was those opening minutes, the first quarter when the Rockets managed just 12 points in the first 10 minutes, that set up everything else. Harden got a good look at the Sixers’ defense, with defenders staying tight on shooters and trying to step out to him on the 3-point line, and then spent the night picking it apart, conspiring with center Clint Capela to drive the Rockets past the Sixers 118-108 on Friday at Toyota Center.
Harden’s late push, complete with consecutive 3-pointers in the closing minutes after the Sixers drew within five, gave him 44 points to go with 11 assists and 11 rebounds for his first triple-double of the season but 14th of his career with at least 40 points. Only Oscar Robertson (22) has more.
Capela had a season-high 30 points with 14 rebounds. Harden made 13 of 24 shots, giving him a career-best streak of seven games making at least half his shots. Capela made 12 of 16 attempts, eight with violent slams.
Yet, even beyond the numbers, the way they found the crevices in the Philadelphia defense and exploited them was more impressive — and crucial — than even the shot-making.
“He operates on a different plan than most people,” Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said of how Harden orchestrated the offense. “He just understands the game, sees it and knows where he wants them. They (defensive players) stay out and he throws a lob. He’s got that little runner, his 3s are all aver the place. I mean, (he’s) really good. He’s one of the best ever.”
So complete was Harden’s control that D’Antoni described it as “just everything.”
When Harden was asked what he saw after that first quarter looking things over, he said, “A little bit of everything. Just kind of had that aggressive mindset and good things will happen. Whether it’s me, my shotmaking ability or my ability to get guys involved, just trying to play at a nice pace.”
The lobs to Capela for dunks were the result of just “( Joel) Embiid stepping up. Pretty simple.”
That, however, required that Capela come up with his best game of the season. Though still hampered by a bruised right heel that he said became increasingly painful through the fourth quarter, Capela relished his matchup with Embiid.
“It’s always exciting to play a guy like that,” Capela said. “I think it was very important to make a statement tonight.”
Asked what led to so many alley-oop slams, Capela said, “I don’t know; swagger.”
With Philadelphia’s length clogging the lane and contesting 3s — other than Harden’s 6-of-12 3point shooting, the Rockets made just 6-of-20 — they had to have Capela at the rim.
“It’s real crucial,” D’Antoni said. “He played really well against a really good player. That was instrumental on what he did tonight because they like to stay home with outside guys on shooters. So, it’s James and Clint at the rim, and James finding him all over the place.”
Embiid had 20 points with 12 rebounds, but made just 7-of-17 shots, seeming to tire in the fourth. Capela and Embiid had not played against one another last season, with each missing one of the two meetings. Capela, however, came back from his injury to face Denver’s Nikola Jokic and Embiid, matching up against two of the league’s best in consecutive Rockets wins.
“He just throws it up and I dunk it,” said Capela, who had not topped 16 points in any of his previous 12 games. “I read the defense, too, and run the defense every time. He always sees it. Anytime he sees it, I’m ready to grab the ball and finish it.”
More than ever this season, that part of the Rockets’ offense took over.
After a 20-point first quarter, they had 40 in the second. Once the Rockets found something, they rode it as needed, turning to Harden and Capela at their best one last time in the final minutes to close out the win.
“They’re long and it took a bit to get used to that,” D’Antoni said. “But from then on, it was pretty good.”