James Harden's 36 pushes Rockets past Bobcats
James Harden put up 36 points to help the Houston Rockets dominate the Charlotte Bobcats, 102-83. Houston (22-9) picked up the win after falling to Washington Wizards on Monday.
Harden shot 12-19 from the field (8-11 on 3-point attempts) in an efficient offensive performance. Dwight Howard also chipped in for Houston, finishing with 11 points and eight rebounds. Despite the loss, Gerald Henderson scored 16 points for Charlotte on 7-14 shooting. Gary Neal added 10 points and six rebounds.
As expected, the Bobcats offense did not have its best game, struggling to score against the stingy Rockets defense that ranks second in the league with a defensive efficiency of 98.1. They registered just .847 points per possession in this game, and rank 29th in the NBA with an offensive efficiency of 98.5 on the season. The Bobcats posted an eFG% of just 40.1%, including 16.7% from 3-point range. This year, they are 2-7 when they record marks below 45% and 30% in those respective categories. On the other hand, the Rockets are 8-1 when holding their opponents to such low percentages.
Charlotte (10-23) has now dropped their last four in a row.
Coming up next, the Rockets square off against the New Orleans Pelicans, who are 16-16 on the year. The Bobcats meet the Cleveland Cavaliers, currently 18-14 this season. The Rockets are 0-1 versus New Orleans this season. The Bobcats are 0-1 versus Cleveland this season.
