Head Coach: Mike D’Antoni (4th Season)
Record: 40-24 (6th in Western Conference)
All-Stars: 2 (Russell Westbrook – 9th, James Harden – 8th)
Scoring Leaders: James Harden (34.4 PPG), Russell Westbrook (27.5 PPG), Eric Gordon (14.5 PPG)
Rebounding Leaders: Westbrook (8.0 RPG), Robert Covington (7.9 RPG), P.J. Tucker (6.9 RPG)
Assists Leaders: Harden (7.4 APG), Westbrook (7.0 APG), Tucker (1.6 APG)
Offense: 118.1 Points Scored/Game (2nd)
Defense: 114.4 Points Allowed/Game (22nd)
Key Wins: Nuggets x2 (130-104, Dec. 31; 121-105, Jan. 22), Celtics x2 (116-105, Feb. 11; 111-110, OT, Feb. 29), Raptors (119-109, Dec. 5), Lakers (121-111, Feb. 6), Clippers x2 (102-93, Nov. 13; 122-117, Dec. 19), Jazz x2 (126-117, Jan. 27; 120-110, Feb. 22)
Season Summary: After deciding the pairing of James Harden and Chris Paul didn’t work, the Rockets brought in Russell Westbrook from the Oklahoma City Thunder to pair him with his former teammate. The duo has combined for the highest usage percentage of any pair in the NBA, and Houston has molded the rest of its roster to fit around the two. The Rockets have embraced a small-ball lineup, trotting out the 6-foot-5 P.J. Tucker at center on a nightly basis as part of a continued effort to space the floor. Tucker (1.5 3PM) is one of the many secondary shooters that Houston uses to surround the perimeter, joining Eric Gordon (2.7 3PM), Robert Covington (2.9 3PM), Ben McLemore (2.4 3PM), and Danuel House (1.9 3PM).
In the end, it all comes down to Harden and Westbrook. They use their sheer athleticism to operate the Rockets’ offense at the 4th-highest pace in the NBA. They do this while leading the league in 3-pointers attempted and placing second in 3-pointers made and free-throw attempts.
Memorable Moment: The Rockets came away with a thrilling OT victory against the Boston Celtics on Feb. 29, as Russell Westbrook’s 41-point performance helped the team outlast a massive game from Jayson Tatum and a buzzer-beater to force OT by Jaylen Brown. More importantly in the game, however, was a James Harden 3-pointer at the 5:46 mark of the 3rd quarter. The triple was the 2,283rd of his career and moved him past Jason Terry for sole possession of 5th place on the all-time list. The 30-year-old now only trails Ray Allen, Reggie Miller, Steph Curry and Kyle Korver.
Player to Watch: James Harden – The Beard is putting together yet another MVP-caliber season. He leads the league in field goal attempts (1,386), 3-point attempts (769), 3-point makes (271), free throws (619), total points (2,096), win shares (11.5), and value over replacement player (6.3), while also placing 2nd in field goals (603), 3rd in steals (106), 7th in assists (450), and 2nd in Player Efficiency Rating (28.4). His shooting numbers fell off a bit in February, requiring Westbrook to step up into a larger scoring role, but if Harden can rediscover his usually efficient self, Houston has eyes set on yet another deep playoff run.
