The Houston Rockets tackle the Sacramento Kings for the second time in two days at the Toyota Center in Houston. And for the second time in two days, the Rockets emerged victorious. But this one was a little different.
James Harden was scratched 30 minutes before the tip due to a sprained right ankle. John Wall scored in his absence with a game-high 28 points (11-21 FG, 2-8 3PT) to lead the Rockets to a 102-94 victory over the Kings. Eric Gordon, who started in place of the injured Harden, added 21 points in the victory.
The Rockets took a two-point lead and entered the fourth quarter. Gordon has scored the first six points the last six times as the Rockets created separation from the Kings on a 9-0 run.
Although Houston had three players who scored 20 or more points, the Rockets won Saturday with their defense in the second half. The Rockets conceded 64 points in the first half, but kept the Kings at 30 in the final 24 minutes.
Just like an offensive performance Wall had for the Rockets, his most lucrative contribution comes on the defensive side of the ball. Wall registered three steals and two blocks. After the match, he declared himself the best “shot block” of all time.
Christian Wood continued his impressive start to the season against the Kings. He scored 20 points in the win, but his most important impact was on the defensive end. He pulled down 15 boards (12 defensive rebounds) and added four blocks in 33 minutes of play. While the rookies took care of business – as usual – Houston got a boost from their second unit. The Rockets Bank outscored the Kings’ reserves 23-16. Sterling Brown scored 11 points and six rebounds in the win, which all the reserve players scored.
In the loss, De’Aaron Fox scored 23 points, while Harrison Barnes added 19 points. With less than a minute left in the ball game, the Kings gave the Rockets a late fright by tackling an 8-2 run. After conceding 22 points to him in the previous game, the Rockets kept Richaun Holmes at 11 on the day.
According to head coach Stephen Silas, the availability of Harden’s status for Monday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks is unknown. With their latest win, the Rockets are now 18-16 in Harden’s absence.