Locked On Rockets - Daily Podcast On The Houston Rockets

Mike D'Antoni and James Harden's team, defensive? You bet. On night two of a road back-to-back at high altitude, the shorthanded Rockets (46-13) held the previously red-hot Jazz to just 85 points and extended their winning streak to 13.

Here’s a recap of how they did it, with special praise for defensive ace Luc Mbah a Moute (17 points, 7-of-7 FG, including 15 in the fourth quarter), a crucial defensive adjustment by D'Antoni, and an under-the-radar efficient night from Harden (26 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 8-of-13 FG).

The show also explores the illness-related absences of Clint Capela and Eric Gordon, as well as minor injuries to Ryan Anderson (hip flexor) and Brandan Wright (knee). The absence of those four players left Houston with only nine active players in Utah.

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MVP frontrunner James Harden was spectacular with 41 points (55% FG, 60% on 3s, 81% FT) to go with 8 rebounds and 7 assists as the Rockets (46-13) extended their winning streak to 12 games with a 119-114 triumph at Denver on Sunday night. The Rockets are now 3-0 vs. the likely playoff-bound Nuggets (33-27) this season.

Chris Paul (23/6/5) was solid in a supporting role behind Harden, while newcomer Brandan Wright flashed in his Houston debut — posting a plus/minus of +9 in 15 minutes in his first outing as Houston's backup center (Nene rested on night one of a road back-to-back).

Sunday's postgame show explores those storylines and more, including the importance of taking care of business against another potential playoff opponent and why Houston's newfound rotation depth is helping unlock the best versions of veteran role players such as Ryan Anderson (8 points, 5 rebounds, +10), Trevor Ariza (14 points, 5-of-7 FG), Luc Mbah a Moute (team-best +12 in 23 minutes) and P.J. Tucker (9 points, 3-of-5 three-point FG).

The recap episode also discusses the increased usage of Joe Johnson (7 points, 29 minutes) and why the temporary absence of Eric Gordon (illness) may be artificially increasing his minutes over the short-term.

#Rockets #NBA #Nuggets

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The Rockets (45-13) trailed for much of the first half, but ultimately pulled away for their 11th straight victory with an impressive 120-102 victory over Minnesota (36-26) in the first game for both teams since the All-Star break. Houston is now 3-0 vs. the Timberwolves this season.

There were some signs of early rust for James Harden (31 points, 9 assists, 8-of-24 FG) and Chris Paul (14 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, 5-of-11 FG) after the week-plus layoff, but it ultimately didn't matter based on the strength of Clint Capela (25 points, 10-of-11 FG, 11 rebounds) on the interior vs. Karl-Anthony Towns and the collaborative contributions from the bench units in Houston's sudden 10-man rotation.

In Friday's postgame show, our Ben DuBose explores those storylines and more — including the decision to stick with P.J. Tucker as the starter at power forward and how Ryan Anderson, Luc Mbah a Moute, Nene, and Joe Johnson sparked a dominant performance from the bench, even with reigning Sixth Man of the Year Eric Gordon out sick.

#Rockets #NBA #Wolves

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In Thursday's episode, Karthik Prasad (@stanfordkp) joins our Ben DuBose for a bigger-picture discussion of what we've learned about the Rockets (44-13) to this point of the season and what's likely to come over the next 25 games as they battle the Warriors (44-14) for the West's No. 1 seed.

Topics include surprisingly close margins between the "Top 5" players on each team; the importance of Clint Capela, particularly vs. Golden State and when compared to Draymond Green; the relative ease of the Warriors' upcoming schedule; who Houston should and will start at power forward now that Trevor Ariza has returned; and whether James Harden has the MVP award already locked up.

#Rockets #NBA #Warriors

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Tuesday's show ranks potential first-round playoff matchups from most to least favorable for the Rockets, including a look at the likely tier (Nuggets, Pelicans, Clippers, Jazz, Blazers) and the less likely but still mathematically possible group (Spurs, Wolves, Thunder).

Our host Ben DuBose also explores lackluster showings from Eric Gordon and James Harden over All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles.

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The Rockets (44-13) defeated the Kings on Wednesday night to run their winning streak to 10 games and later moved into the West's pole position following a subsequent loss by Golden State (44-14) in Portland. If the regular season ended today, Houston would have home-court advantage throughout the NBA playoffs.

Thursday's show breaks down the importance of Houston grabbing the No. 1 seed entering the extended All-Star break, with emphasis on how it bolsters the cases for James Harden as the league's MVP frontrunner and the increased desirability of the Rockets as an offseason destination for the likes of LeBron James.

Other topics include a specific breakdown of the 100-91 victory over Sacramento (15:55) and how Harden (28/9/9) led the fatigued Rockets to a win without their best stuff, as well as thoughts on the relatively positive debut for Joe Johnson (9 points, 3 rebounds, 31 minutes) at Toyota Center.

#Rockets #NBA #Kings #Warriors

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Ryan Anderson (21 points) sparked the Rockets with six three-pointers off the bench as Houston (43-13) rallied from an early 13-point road deficit to defeat Minnesota and extend its run to nine consecutive wins overall and 13 in 14 games since the return of MVP frontrunner James Harden.

Our postgame show explores Anderson's resurgence in his new bench role and all the other storylines from Tuesday night in Minnesota (35-25), including the maturity shown in recovering from the early deficit and the role of Harden (34 points, 12 assists) in closing it out late with 14 points in the final six minutes.

We also discuss where things stand with the Joe Johnson signing as of late Tuesday and the possible release of either Tarik Black, Troy Williams, or Chinanu Onuaku to make room on the active roster.

 #Rockets #NBA #Wolves

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The Rockets (42-13) won their eighth consecutive game and 12th of 13 since the return of James Harden with a 104-97 victory over the rival Dallas Mavericks (18-39) on Sunday night at Toyota Center.

It didn't always come easy for Houston, though, as evidenced by the 36 points scored by the Mavericks in the second quarter. That led to a tight game (57-55) at the half, even against a Dallas squad with Dirk Nowitzki, Wes Matthews, and J.J. Barea all out due to injury or rest considerations.

Our recap explores the inconsistent defense and reasons not to overreact, along with a look at how the Rockets were able to eventually turn it around. James Harden led the way in scoring with 27 points, while Chris Paul shook off a slow start to finish with 25 points, 9 assists, 8 rebounds, and a team-best plus/minus of +22 — highlighted by an 11-4 spurt to end the third quarter in which Paul scored or assisted on every point. That stretch pushed Houston's lead to double digits, effectively ending the game.

In the final segment of the show (19:35), our Ben DuBose speaks with ClutchFans owner David Hardisty about the recent additions of Joe Johnson and Brandan Wright to the Rockets and the logic behind Mike D'Antoni's sudden decision to start P.J. Tucker over Ryan Anderson at the power forward spot.

#Rockets #NBA #Mavs

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With veteran swingman Joe Johnson agreeing to join the Rockets, Jazz play-by-play broadcaster David Locke joins us to explore what the seven-time NBA All-Star still has left in the tank at 36 years old. Johnson played in Utah for each of the past two seasons, including their playoff run in 2016-17. 

Other topics in our Saturday interview include where Johnson could find minutes in Houston; his defensive limitations; the value of Johnson's locker-room presence; and whether the Rockets (41-13) truly have enough pieces to challenge the Warriors (42-13) over a seven-game series.

#Rockets #NBA #Jazz

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Led by a massive night from Clint Capela (23 points, 25 rebounds) and a casual 28/11 showing from MVP frontrunner James Harden in only 27 minutes, the Rockets cruised past the Denver Nuggets (29-26) on Friday with a 130-104 victory at Toyota Center.

The victory is the seventh straight and 11th in 12 games for the Rockets (41-13), who remain tied in the loss column with the Warriors (42-13) for the league’s best record and home-court advantage throughout the NBA playoffs. Houston holds the tiebreaker.

Saturday’s postgame show examines those angles and more, including the successful return of Eric Gordon (12 points in 27 minutes, +24) from a back injury and a curious decision by Mike D’Antoni to start P.J. Tucker over Ryan Anderson at the four spot.

Other topics on the show include the news of veteran big man Brandan Wright agreeing to a deal with the Rockets (17:36 on the show) after reaching a buyout with Memphis, and an early look at where the LeBron James derby for this summer likely stands (33:08) after Thursday’s massive wave of trades in Cleveland. 

#Rockets #NBA #Nuggets

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