The Houston Rockets can still win. Against the Brooklyn Nets the best team of the last Regular Season has some difficulties again – but in the end two old stars provide the much needed victory.
An urgently needed success for the recently so weak Rockets. Houston also had a hard time in Brooklyn – in the end it helped them a lot that Chris Paul and especially Carmelo Anthony, two last weak players, found their rhythm again. In the absence of James Harden, who was still in a bad way, it was this duo that made Houston win against the Nets.
But one thing at a time. At the beginning there were again big defensive problems with the Rockets. Brooklyn hit 14 of his first 18 litters and at the beginning got every litter he wanted, especially in the zone. Therefore the Nets led after a quarter with 7 and after two still with 5, although Paul defended himself to the best of his ability and in the second quarter already laid down 13 points.
In the third quarter CP3 got support mainly in person of Melo, who contributed in the course of an 11:0-Run two three, a Jumper and a block and got the Rockets with it upper water. Also in the last quarter, when Brooklyn wanted to shorten again, Melo was on the spot with two more three players – altogether Anthony with 28 points (6/9 three) from the bench put down his clearly best game so far for the Rockets.
The best man, however, was Paul, who set the best results of the season with 32 points and 11 assists. Clint Capela had a strong double-double (22 points, 13 rebounds), Eric Gordon 21 points. Isaiah Hartenstein played for eight minutes, but did not score a point (0/2 FG, 1 rebound), for which he blocked two throws.
For Houston, there was more good news: Harden will probably be back in the upcoming game against Chicago, as Mike D’Antoni announced. In the Nets, Caris LeVert was the top scorer with 29 points, Joe Harris 18 points.