Rockets Basketball is Back, losing on Westbrook’s debut
Giannis and the Bucks come back from a 16 point deficit, defeating the Houston Rockets 117 to 111 to upset Russell Westbrooks Rocket debut.
It was a sold out crowd at the Toyota Center, as the Rockets looked to get their first win of the season and Harden could have a chance of a bit of revenge with a win against MVP rival, Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Westbrook’s hustle throughout the game was not enough to give us the win as the Bucks hold Harden off from proficient scoring in the second half. The Bucks formulated a defensive strategy to have George Hill guard Harden from his left side (shooting hand) throughout the night, only scoring 1 of 8 from the 3 point line.
The Rockets performance began to topple when the Bucks had their first lead of the game over Houston in the fourth quarter with just 8 minutes left to play. After leading the Bucks in the first half, the Rockets could not find the basket beyond the arch in the second half of the game, only making 5 of 27 from three. The Milwaukee Bucks rallied the Rockets with 39 points in the fourth quarter, earning them their first win of the season.
In the fourth, Westbrook wasn’t willing to go out easy as he made 16 of the Rockets’ 24 points to pressure the Bucks, even coming within one but the Rockets could not hold off defensively. Russell Westbrook finished the game with 24 points, 16 rebounds, and 7 assists.
James Harden had trouble in the second half of the game, as he was held to a scoreless 3rd quarter and only scoring 3 in the fourth. Harden ended the game with a total of 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 14 assists.
New Houston players; Tyson Chandler finished the game with 10 points and Ben Mclemore finished with 6.
Although the Rockets did take the loss, it is hopeful to see the potential the Rockets have seeing both Westbrook and Harden combine for 21 assists. These superstar players are proving to not only lead their team in scoring, but also being willing passers to find a way to get their teammates going in scoring to further advance their lead.
The Houston Rockets next game is on Saturday, October 26 at the Toyota Center at 7:00 PM. For more information on the Rockets schedule and tickets, you may visit https://www.nba.com/rockets/schedule .
