James Harden Feasts on Decimated Warriors in Rockets' Blowout Win

The last time the Rockets hosted the Warriors prior to Wednesday, Steph Curry scored 30 second-half points and Golden State eliminated Houston from the Western Conference playoffs. James Harden and Chris Paul trudged into the locker room, and Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green celebrated their fifth consecutive Western Conference crown. 

Plenty has changed since then in the lead up to Houston's 129-112 win on Wednesday. Zero of the 11 Warriors to appear in Game 6 last season suited up on Wednesday night, and Russell Westbrook has replaced Paul as Harden's running mate. Houston faced a team more suited for the Final Four than the Finals as it advanced to 5–3 on the season on Wednesday. 

"It is strange," Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said pregame. "We were in this building not too long ago and it was a huge game. We're entirely different. I don't think we have a single player from that night. ... Everything's very different."

Strange times indeed. We'll resume the rivalry talk in 2020-21 when the Warriors return to full health. Until then, here are three takeaways from Wednesday's blowout victory at the Toyota Center. 

Harden in Peak Form

We spent much of the season's first two weeks searching for the reason behind Harden's slow start to the season. Were his isolation numbers last season an outlier? Had his shot profile changed from year-to-year. The minor hand-wringing may have been foolish. At the end of the day, it is a make-or-miss league. 

Harden's field goal percentage was encouraging for the second straight game on Wednesday. He finished the evening 10-23 from the field and 6-16 from three, ending the contest with a game-high 36 points. Harden's dominance on Wednesday mirrored his effort on Monday. He buried a stream of step-backs against overmatched defenders–Willie Cauley-Stein guarding Harden in space is high comedy–and The Beard's insistence on generating shots at the rim continued. 30 points per game in 2019-20 is a near guarantee. Crossing 35 for the second consecutive season is very much in play. 

Harden got off to a sluggish start early on Wednesday, but a taunt from Warriors' forward Eric Paschall appeared to jolt the two-time scoring champion into MVP form. Harden scored or assisted on 23 of Houston's final 24 points to close the first half, and he buried a trio of step-back threes after the trash talk from Paschall. Perhaps it's not best for a rookie to poke the bear. 

Capela Moving in Right Direction

Houston's center drew the ire of Mike D'Antoni throughout the season's first  10 days, with the Rockets' head coach imploring Capela to improve his defense at the tin. D'Antoni's frustration translated to a dip in Capela's minutes, forcing the Rockets to further rely on small-ball lineups with P.J. Tucker at the five. But Capela has provided more stable production of late.

Capela finished with 19 points and 16 rebounds and six blocks in Wednesday's win after a double-double against Memphis on Monday. His activity was more encouraging than the stat line. Capela ran the floor with abandon on Wednesday and dove hard to the rim as a half-court screener. The 25-year-old turned in his most active and alert rotational effort of the season, even though D'Antoni isn't ready to heap on the praise just yet. 

"Tonight was better," D'Antoni said after Wednesday's win. "He's just gotta get in shape. And he's not the only one, a lot of guys do."

Capela's start to the season was both puzzling and troubling for Houston as the 25-year-old sported a minus-10.1 net rating in seven games. But maybe the small sample is one to be ignored as we roll through the third week of the season. Capela remains one of Houston's top assets as it looks to reach the Finals. 

Westbrook's Stylistic Regression?

Wednesday night wasn't necessarily a struggle from Russell Westbrook. The 2016-17 MVP finished the night with 18 points on 8-18 shooting, adding eight rebounds and six assists in the victory. But Westbrook's shot selection on Wednesday suggested a slight regression after a string of encouraging early signs. 

Westbrook looked like reformed player in his first two weeks with the Rockets, consistently eschewing mid-range jumpers in favor of drives at the basket. The early results were impressive, so much so that we dedicated a column to Westbrook's hot start on Oct. 31. Westbrook appeared to be embracing Morey-ball with ease, aiming for either a shot within five feet or beyond the three-point line on every nearly every possession. Wednesday provided evidence to the contrary. Eight of Westbrook's 18 shots on Wednesday came from the mid-range, including three of his first four. Possessions like the one below are sure to irk Morey and D'Antoni. 

Westbrook's reformation remains a work in progress. He wouldn't become the perfect Rocket overnight. But Wednesday represented a step in the wrong direction, one that could be troubling if it persists in the coming weeks. 

Up Next: at Chicago on Saturday

Houston will have two days off before taking the road again, and the Rockets will have another opportunity to feast on a soft part of their schedule. Their next home game will be on Nov. 13 against the Clippers as Paul George could make his season debut.