The Houston Rockets have now won 10 consecutive games, and each have win has come by at least seven points. Those wins all have one other thing in common — James Harden and Chris Paul were both on the floor.
James Harden and Chris Paul are the perfect NBA backcourt combo
Why did anyone ever think this combo wouldn’t work?
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
On Monday night, arguably the best backcourt in the league took down the Pelicans, 130-123, scoring in some of the most obnoxiously beautiful ways possible. Hands were in their face, defenders were on their hip, but nothing fazed them. They were brilliant.
Harden finished with 26 points, 17 assists and six steals. Fourteen of those assists came in the first half alone. Paul had 20 points, nine rebounds and six assists.
Two of the best passers in the league on the same team isn’t fair
Harden and Paul not only bring out the best in each other, but allow everyone else on the floor to play comfortably within their own roles.
Eric Gordon was the perfect Sixth Man, using the spaced-out floor to connect on 9-of-12 shots. He had all the time he needed from deep as well, hitting 5-of-6.
Maybe the biggest benefactor of the elite point guards is Clint Capela, who had 11 of his 13 made shots assisted on by Harden. His dunks and layups accumulated 28 points on just one missed shot. It doesn’t get more efficient than that!
As a team, the Rockets shot 55 percent from the floor, assisting on 30 of 48 shots.
The unassisted makes came in the clutch — when Houston let the MVP-frontrunner do what he’s paid to do.
Harden and Paul can score whenever they want, wherever they want
Chris Paul’s 10-0 run in the third quarter sparked a flurry the Pelicans couldn’t hold off. With Paul stopping in an instant and commanding his way through the paint, how could they?
Harden embarrassed the Pelicans doing much of the same, even when his shots came ultra-contested and in crunch time. Boogie’s size didn’t even bother him.
Didn’t matter.
At all.
The Pelicans had a career night and it didn’t even matter
New Orleans went off for 123 points, showing off what’s been deemed to be a lackluster backcourt as an All-Star one. The Pels set a franchise record with 18 made shots from three-point range. Even that was squandered.
E’Twaun Moore went for 36 points. E’Twaun Moore! He went 15-of-20 from the field and made 6-of-8 from deep.
Rajon freakin’ Rondo sunk 3-of-5 from deep, and triple-doubled with 13 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists. And Jrue Holiday went for 37-5-4-4.
That doesn’t even include DeMarcus Cousins’ 24 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists. But they still lost. Teams just can’t out-offense the Rockets.
The Warriors have competition.
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