The Rockets’ overtime thriller against the pistons looks like a surprise for a long time. In extra time, however, James Harden takes the reins and decides the brick festival in favour of the Rockets.
Over 48 minutes was a surprise in the Toyota Center for the Detroit Pistons within reach. Without Chris Paul, who was injured on his thigh, the Rockets never really found their rhythm, even James Harden (2/16 FG in regular playing time) remained largely pale. Unfortunately, the offense of the Pistons was also a bit bumpy, so that the fans in Houston were not granted a particularly nice game.
Together, the two teams put 71 triples on the ring (Detroit: 6/38, Houston: 12/51), after all the guests from the Motor City had the slightly better field throw rate (42.1 percent to 35.4 percent) thanks to advantages in the zone. This allowed Detroit to keep the game tight throughout the full season. Blake Griffin almost always radiated danger with a triple-double (21 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists), only he didn’t want to fall anything from downtown (1/7 threesome).
In the zone he received important support from Andre Drummond, who scored a strong 17 points and 20 rebounds. The Pistons scored 54 points close to the basket, while the Rockets scored 38 points in the paint. Ish Smith (18 points, 8 rebounds) and Luke Kennard (14) also performed well for the guests.
After Detroit could equalize a 9-point gap about four and a half minutes before the end and both teams missed the opportunity to win in the final seconds, the game went into overtime – and suddenly Harden was there.
Despite his problems in regular playing time, The Beard did not lack self-confidence. The Rockets’ MVP candidate scored 10 of his 21 points in extra time alone, putting his team on the winning track: “We didn’t get into the offensive, but sometimes we did,” Harden concluded after the match, “You still have to find ways to win.
This path was called Harden and Defense that evening. Houston again lost 8 points in the overtime thanks to the 28-year-old’s heroics and the Rockets’ good defence, which was too much for the bravely fighting pistons: “We didn’t hit any throws”, said Pistons coach Stan van Gundy afterwards, “This had a lot to do with their defence”.
The Rockets celebrated their seventh consecutive victory, while Detroit’s battle for their last play-off place in the Eastern Conference is becoming increasingly difficult. With only ten games remaining, the Pistons are five victories behind the Milwaukee Bucks.