Clippers' James Harden Burns Houston Rockets, Six-Game Win Streak Ends: Notebook
The Houston Rockets had a chance to reunite with James Harden during free agency in July. But instead of welcoming the 10-time All-Star back, coach Ime Udoka opted to sign Fred VanVleet.
Four months later, Harden ended Houston's six-game win streak as the Rockets sustained a 106-100 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers inside L.A.'s Crypto.com Arena.
With the game tied at 100 with 22.0 seconds left, Harden nailed an And-1 3-point field goal over the top of Jae'Sean Tate. He finished the game with 24 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
"We put in a unit to switch everything," Udoka said. "We made him take a tough shot. But obviously, we did not want to foul. We wanted to contest, especially a three. But worst-case scenario, he made it and got fouled. It put the game somewhat out of reach."
To many, a summer reunion between the Rockets and Harden made sense at the time. Houston wanted a veteran talent at the guard position, while the league's former MVP wanted to go to a place he considered "home."
A source told InsidetheRockets.com at SI that Houston and Harden had "interest" in a homecoming this summer. But plans shifted once Udoka took over as coach. The information coincided with The Athletic's report that Houston decided to "pass on another Harden chapter."
Udoka later revealed that he had nothing personal against Harden but felt VanVleet was a “better fit.”
The decision to sign VanVleet over Harden has paid off 10 games into the start of the 2023-24 season for the Rockets. But Friday night, Harden displayed flashes of the player who used to hit game-winning jump-shots for the same franchise from 2012-2021.
"That is what James has been doing for the last decade-plus," VanVleet said. "He made a big shot. But we did not have a bunch of good looks in our offense late. I have to find ways for us to get better shots down the stretch."
Clippers guard James Harden reacts after making a game winning three-point basket during the fourth quarter against the Houston Rockets.
Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
Poor execution in the final two minutes:
The Rockets did not shy away from respecting Harden's excellence but felt the night should have never come down to a game-winning triple. Udoka noted that his team did not execute well down the stretch.
"I loved our resiliency to go down by 10 and then take a five-point lead," Udoka said. "But we just didn't finish."
Alperen Şengün scored a finger-roll layup to give the Rockets a 99-94 lead with 2:16 left in the fourth quarter. The Rockets had the momentum and were on track to send the Clippers to their seventh consecutive loss.
But instead of staying aggressive on both ends, the Rockets allowed Los Angeles to find their offensive rhythm. The Clippers outscored Houston 12-1 during the final two minutes. But Udoka and VanVleet believe the Rockets let the game slip away due to their subpar play on the offensive end.
The final six offensive possessions resulted in Houston missing its final three field-goal attempts while committing two costly turnovers. Udoka believes his players began to focus too much on receiving foul calls. But VanVleet took responsibility for not elevating the Rockets' play during the final two minutes.
"We did not get good looks during the final 90 seconds," VanVleet said. "We have to clean up our late-game execution. Everyone is going to react to that last defensive possession. But if we had put more points on the board, I believe we would have left out of here with a win."
Rockets fall to 1-1 during In-Season Tournament play:
By falling to the Clippers, the Rockets are 1-1 during their In-Season Tournament play. With the loss, the Denver Nuggets and New Orleans Pelicans are tied for the top seed in Group B with a 2-1 record. The Dallas Mavericks and Clippers are tied for fourth and fifth place with a 1-2 record.
