Rahat said on Twitter during the first quarter that the Rockets should kill the Timberwolves, but I was worried about this game beforehand. Minnesota will not make the playoffs this season, but they are a very athletic team that has depth and likes to run. When those traits are combined with the high altitude of Mexico City, we could have looked at an undisciplined track meet which would turn in Minnesota’s favor. At times during the first half, it looked like that would be the case. There was a stretch midway through the second quarter where the two teams had a combined four straight fast break possessions, which ended with the Timberwolves gaining two points on the Rockets.
But after going through the motions for much of the first half, the Rockets woke up, turned up the defense, and took control of the game. Houston still has some kinks to work out and things which do concern me at this point in the season, namely our overreliance on Harden on the offensive end. But the fact is that the Rockets are tied for the best record in the league, have the highest point differential, and have a highly ranked offense and defense (and as much people like to spout the platitude of “defense wins championships”, the reality is that a team needs a strong offense and defense to win.) At the end of the day, there is not too much to complain about.
If you want something that went really well, take a look at Houston’s big men. And not just Howard, who was too strong for Minnesota center Gorgui Dieng and too fast for Nikola Pekovic. Tarik Black had his first good regular season game with 10 points and 6 rebounds in just 17 minutes, and Motiejunas had his second straight good game. Motiejunas did not have a strong scoring effort, but he was well-rounded in his rebounding and passing. That is more important than improving his three-point shot or his touch around the rim: Houston can live with Motiejunas continuing to struggle on the offensive end, but to live with a defensively inadequate big man is an entirely different matter.
As noted above, Houston’s defense in the second half was the reason for how the Rockets were able to close this game out comfortably after leading by just 4 at the end of the first half. Dwight Howard is just a ridiculous defensive monster. The Mexico City crowd was looking for highlights tonight, and he provided them when he blocked multiple shots into the stands to cheers and applause. Aside from him, everyone on the Rockets gave greater effort in the second half. Even Jason Terry managed to steal an in-bounds pass which led to an easy bucket.
The offense in the meantime is my one concern. Howard may have done well against the Minnesota big men, but Harden is still Houston’s offensive linchpin. I am not worried about Harden’s poor shooting both from the field and from long range, where he is shooting only 30% for the year. That will improve over time, just like Jason Terry will not be shooting over 50% from three-point land. What I am worried about is how much Harden handles the ball.
If you think that statement means that I am in any way, shape or form calling Harden a ballhog, that is not true. Harden is an offensive genius. He had 10 assists with just one turnover tonight, and it makes perfect sense for Houston to let our best offensive player work as much as possible. What worries me is how much Harden can actually do over the long grind of the 82-game season. In a Mexico City environment which had both Kevin McHale and Flip Saunders use bigger rotations than normal on account of the thin air, Harden still played 40 minutes. Late in the third quarter, Harden landed awkwardly on a drive to the basket and had to come out of the game to stretch his right ankle. He came back later in the fourth and played just fine, but moments like this are still concerning.
Perhaps I worry too much. Harden is tough and built like a tank, and Houston played a great second half tonight against Minnesota thanks to his efforts and the improved defense. But the Rockets are not looking to beat Minnesota. They are looking to beat San Antonio, Golden State, Memphis, and whoever else they face in May and maybe even June. And in order to do that, Houston will need to make sure that Howard and Harden will be in shape to lead the Rockets when the playoffs arrive.
Also on a final note: Once upon a time in 2009-10, Rockets fans were convinced that Chase Budinger was a future starter for years to come, if not a star. Even at the star of the 2011-12 season, Budinger was assumed to be Houston’s starting small forward until a rookie Parsons came out of nowhere to take the spot instead. Today, Budinger came in during garbage time and played just four minutes for the Timberwolves. He hit his first field goal of the season tonight.
Things can change so rapidly in the NBA.
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