Rockets reaction: James Harden leads decisive closing run vs. Kings
James Harden led the Rockets with 33 points and eight assists as Houston used a clutch run late in Thursday’s fourth quarter to push past Sacramento, 122-119 (box score). The win improved the Rockets to 1-2 on the 2020-21 regular season, while dropping the Kings to 3-2.
The Rockets trailed by four points with under four minutes to go, but they then went on a 12-2 run in under three game minutes. Of those 12 points, Harden scored 10 and assisted on a Christian Wood dunk for the other two. Veteran defensive ace PJ Tucker didn’t score or take a shot for the entire game, but he had six rebounds, three steals, and two blocks as he proved critical in Houston’s late defensive performance.
“Defensively, when it was time to get stops, we got stops. That’s the most important thing,” Harden said postgame.
Playing in his first regular-season game in over two calendar years, John Wall led Houston in assists with nine and finished second in scoring with 22 points. Meanwhile, his perimeter defense helped limit rising Kings star De’Aaron Fox into a 9-of-23 shooting night (39.1%) on New Year’s Eve.
Wood added 21 points and 12 rebounds, while Eric Gordon scored an efficient 17 points on 50% shooting off Houston’s bench. See below for a compilation of postgame reaction from the Rockets.
Stephen Silas, head coach
https://twitter.com/MarkBermanFox26/status/1344839775136706562 https://twitter.com/AdamJWexler/status/1344840237806137345 https://twitter.com/Rockets_Insider/status/1344838416140263424 https://twitter.com/BenDuBose/status/1344839904849760257 https://twitter.com/BenDuBose/status/1344837912375009282 https://twitter.com/clutchfans/status/1344837935418515458
James Harden, guard
https://twitter.com/BenDuBose/status/1344840980281896962 https://twitter.com/MarkBermanFox26/status/1344842853579677704 https://twitter.com/Rockets_Insider/status/1344842865860554753 https://twitter.com/clutchfans/status/1344842035199696897 https://embed.sendtonews.com/oembed/?SC=81UC5zB8ty-1092033-7498&format=json&offsetx=0&offsety=0&floatwidth=400&floatposition=bottom-right&float=on
Christian Wood, center
https://twitter.com/CotyDavis_24/status/1344843664070225921 https://twitter.com/MarkBermanFox26/status/1344845234790928384 https://twitter.com/KellyIkoNBA/status/1344844211485630465 https://twitter.com/espn_macmahon/status/1344843749722103809 https://twitter.com/kimydavis/status/1344843595904389120 https://twitter.com/CotyDavis_24/status/1344843664070225921 https://embed.sendtonews.com/oembed/?SC=HVI4iISvF1-1092029-7498&format=json&offsetx=0&offsety=0&floatwidth=400&floatposition=bottom-right&float=on
John Wall, guard
https://twitter.com/CotyDavis_24/status/1344848258833801216 https://twitter.com/ATTSportsNetSW/status/1344850264629665793 https://twitter.com/kimydavis/status/1344849921434918912 https://twitter.com/MarkBermanFox26/status/1344850546797260801 https://embed.sendtonews.com/oembed/?SC=U4mdlyfWyW-1092037-7498&format=json&offsetx=0&offsety=0&floatwidth=400&floatposition=bottom-right&float=on
