Rockets blow out Warriors with lock-down defense

The Houston Rockets beat the Golden State Warriors in commanding fashion on National TV tonight.

The Houston Rockets finally got back to .500 with a dominating performance against the defending champion Warriors. Though they lacked Stephen Curry, it was still a very impressive win for the ever-improving Rockets, 107-86.

This is now three straight wins for the Rockets, all of them against teams with positive records. They are looking great after the rough 1-5 start to the season. Their next three games are against teams with positive records as well, so let’s hope they can keep it going!

Harden led the team with 27 points.

The defense

The most impressive part of tonight was the defense shown by the Rockets. They held the Warriors to a season-low 41 points in the first half and just 86 points overall. It was heading for much fewer before the benches cleared and Golden State scored some easy buckets.

The three All-Stars of the Warriors combined to shoot 11/34 from the field and 0/9 from downtown. They were atrocious without their leader, Steph Curry. Gary Clark and James Ennis both played some very solid defense all around.

This is now six of the last seven games that the Rockets have held their opponents below 100 points. The defense is back.

Gary Clark

Speaking of Clark, he brought some serious energy off the bench. He poured in three 3s in the third quarter (3s much?) and played very well on both ends of the court.

Morey has truly found another diamond in the rough with Clark. He is willing to do whatever it takes, no matter the role, in order to win. He’s only getting better with his jump shot and tonight was a big step in the right direction.

Isaiah Hartenstein brought some serious hustle tonight as well. The young players for the Rockets are starting to fit in quite well.

No more Melo

As reported by Adrian Wojnarowski earlier today, Carmelo Anthony has been, or is in the process of being, cut. He will no longer be on the team after an up-and-down 10 games with the Rockets.

In his absence, the defense has been much improved. That probably isn’t a coincidence, as Melo struggled with the switching scheme that Houston tries to run with their defense. With Clark getting more minutes, look for the defense to stay sharp for the foreseeable future.

This game was a statement game for the Rockets. They are back and are starting to prove it.