Houston Rockets Daily Rocket Science – Hooray! A Second Win!

Curse of the Based God? Pssshhh.

Let me whack this one down right now. Lil’ B is a bad rapper with a large Twitter following who has no magical powers. He has no curses, other than the one plaguing his “music”.  He is a nobody and he doesn’t affect how the Houston Rockets play.

Now, back to the good matter at hand. Win number two is in the books and it took overtime to beat the Orlando Magic last night by the score of 119-114. Make it two games in a row now with James Harden and Dwight Howard looking like the players we know they can be.

Now it’s time to see if the Rockets can get back to .500 against the Sacramento Kings tomorrow (Friday) before the long awaited showdown with the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday. Plan your schedules accordingly.

Amid all of our news, we have a free agency bombshell to talk about, so let’s not waste any time!

Houston Rockets News and Notes from around the Web

Other than Tristan Thompson’s ludicrous deal and the talent-loaded 2015 draft, Kevin Durant’s looming free agency dominated headlines this off season. Where will he go? Back home to the Washington Wizards seems to be a popular buzz, or what about the big markets in L.A. or New York? Or, he could always re-sign in Oklahoma City – Or, he can come back to where he played college ball in Texas. As Brian T. Smith lays it out, all the stars are aligning in Houston.

Durant courtship in Rockets’ future [Houston Chronicle – Brian T. Smith]

"The Rockets won’t simply have an open spot. They’ll have cash and flexibility. They’ll have a short-term vision (NBA championship) and long-term sights (more championships). And if it all works and multiple moves click at once – just like they did when , Harden and Howard suddenly showed up Monday night in downtown Houston – the Rockets could re-sign D12 and ink OKC’s current No. 35 in a single crazy summer. Ty Lawson"

Yes, there’s other “What’s wrong with the Rockets” pieces still floating around out there. If Houston can win out their California road trip, I’d suspect these will eventually die out. However, this one’s different because it’s coming straight from Kevin McHale’s mouth. So in other words, take a gander below.

McHale confident chemistry will develop as players mesh, injuries heal [ESPN NBA – Calvin Watkins]

"According to ESPN Insider Bradford Doolittle, it’s been a struggle thus far when Harden and Lawson have shared the court. The team’s offensive rating (ORTG) is 86.9 and defensive rating (DRTG) is 113.9 with both on the court. Were that the team’s overall rating, they’d be the worst in the league. In any other lineup configuration, the Rockets’ ORTG is 91.3 and DRTG is 106.7, both markedly improvements."

So by now I’m sure everyone in the Rockets fan base has seen this funny Harden bobble-head that simply doesn’t look like James Harden. In my personal opinion it just looks like Cliff Paul dressed up as James Harden for Halloween. But since we have a poll, we’ll let you decide.

Take Our Poll – Who Does James Harden Bobblehead Look Like? [Tamberlyn Richardson – Space City Scoop]

"Tonight however the player who’ll be garnering attention on and off the court is the Rockets franchise star who is being honored by the organization with his own bobblehead.  The question is does the bobblehead even look like James Harden? Sure the beard and mohawk are on the small figurine, but many on social media jumped on how much it looks like other people. James Harden"

Finally, I’ll leave you off with this nice feature on Montrezl Harrell. It’s VERY early, but Harrell is playing well enough to be called the steal of the draft right now. The Louisville rookie plays with a controlled rage and never seems to be scared by the big, shining lights of the NBA. He’s slowly gaining minutes and he certainly isn’t going away.

Montrezl Harrell starting to show he is the real deal for the Rockets [The Dream Shake -dyslexicsports]

"I’m joking, but there’s a shred of truth there. No, player in the NBA who has played more than 60 minutes this season has a higher offensive rating than Harrell’s 150. Not even . Stephen Curry"

One more thing – if you haven’t seen the Harden bobble-head by now here it is. Take our poll above or leave a suggestion in the comments as to who this really is.

Say Hello to my little friend! Tonight is James Harden Bobblehead Night. #KHOU11#StirringThePotpic.twitter.com/YM9iZE1Kzk

— Pablo Alsina (@PabloAlsinaKHOU) November 4, 2015

Next: Houston Rockets Win a Nail Biter Over Magic in Overtime

You’re almost to Friday – you can do it people. Thursday’s are fun! Sure there’s no Rockets game tonight – but you’ll have Johnny Manziel and Baylor to sooth your sports appetite until tomorrow. Happy Thursday y’all.