NBA scores 2017: The Rockets’ defense is winning them games, too

Over the last few weeks, Houston is one of the league’s best defenses. No wonder it keeps winning.

Jan 9, 2017, 1:00 PM UTC

Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

The Rockets and the Raptors were going to score — we knew that much on Sunday. The second- and third-best offenses in the NBA weren’t going to go easy on each other. That scoring happened for three quarters, with Toronto leading much of the game while taking a 99-95 advantage headed into the fourth. And then the Rockets’ defense finally came through.

Houston’s 129-122 win on Sunday was the result of an 18-0 run that started at the end of the third quarter and concluded more than three minutes into the fourth. Down 99-92, the Rockets found themselves up 110-99 because of an offense as explosive as any in the league — but also, for slightly more than three minutes to start the fourth, they held Toronto scoreless.

The Rockets are on a torrid pace — since starting 6-5, Houston has won 24 of its 28 games and now sits a game back of San Antonio for the No. 2 seed in the West. The Rockets’ rise has led national conversations about their offense, which is totally deserved. As it turns out, Mike D’Antoni is the man Daryl Morey always needed to execute his vision, and the coach James Harden has wanted to be his best self. That trio is helping the Rockets buck NBA norms and torch defenses around the league with impunity. On Sunday, Harden scored 40 damn points with a triple-double. Goodness, he is too good at what he does.

Yet as good as that Rockets’ offense has been, Houston wouldn’t be winning at this rate without a viable defense. It says a lot about Houston that it’s constructed a passable team on that end, starting with noted defenders like Trevor Ariza and Patrick Beverley, but extending now to the oft-ridiculed James Harden.

The Rockets are the No. 16 defense in the league this season, but No. 4 since the start of December. That’s right, fourth best in the league. Not playing good enough defense was supposed to be the thing that held Houston back, but D’Antoni cobbled together a team featuring some known poor defenders and has them playing better on that end than ever before.

Ryan Anderson is the biggest example: a premier shooter who was smart but always a step slow on the other end. He’s still not a good defender, but Houston is smart about how it uses him. The Rockets keep him out of pick-and-rolls when they can, and Anderson is hustling harder than ever to keep up when teams do focus on him. Harden and Eric Gordon are doing the same thing.

Even with Clint Capela’s shot blocking missing in the middle while he recovers from a leg injury, the Rockets keep playing better and better defensively. They’re not a top-five squad when it comes down to it — they won’t finish the year there — but they don’t need to be given how easily they score. If Houston can get stops at an above-average rate like it has been nearly the whole season, that’s a team to be feared. The three minutes it did that on Sunday was all that was needed to beat the Raptors.

Chris Paul, still great, still leading the Clippers

Paul has been in and out for the Clippers due to injury, but CP3 was back in full point god fashion on Sunday. Take his highlights, like this absurd wraparound pass ...

... and this too easy yo-yo dribble.

Or, if you’d prefer, take Paul’s actual statline: 19 points, 18 assists, six rebounds, 7-of-11 shooting, and just one turnover. That’s substance matched with style, orchestrating an offense as easily as he spins a basketball back to himself with a dribble he essentially brought to the league.

The Clippers faded briefly around Christmas break, losing six straight without Blake Griffin and a mostly-absent Paul. But Paul’s healthy now, and Los Angeles is still a top-10 team without Griffin. The high-flying forward is expected to return late this month or early next, and in the meantime, the Clippers face non-playoff teams in six of their next nine matchups that can allow them to rebuild the record that was slightly tarnished last month. With Paul playing like this, they should have no problems.

The biggest question for the Western Conference playoffs is which team among Houston, Los Angeles and San Antonio has the best chance to upset the Warriors. The Clippers aren’t that team at the moment, but they’ll survive fine without Griffin. When he gets back is when regaining that early season edge will matter.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope won it for Detroit

To cap off a double-overtime evening, KCP came through at the end of a wild back-and-forth game to earn a victory for Detroit. There was no hesitation releasing that shot as he curled around a screen off the inbounds play, and it went down without a problem. The Pistons finished off the game by forcing C.J. McCollum into a missed jumper on the next play.

Sunday’s play of the night

Everything here is great — the surprise steal, the hustle from the Grizzlies, and then Vince Carter nailing the three at the buzzer. Please never leave us, Vince.