The Houston Rockets with few players was good enough on Thursday night to win their first game after James Harden’s switch request was granted.
The Rockets, who had only nine players available due to injuries and the arrival of new players, crowned what first-year coach Stephen Silas called “the crazy 48 hours” with a 109 to 105 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
It was an especially satisfying victory for a team that heard Harden, the cornerstone of the longtime franchise, publicly declare that the Rockets were inadequate and could not be “fixed” after an unbalanced defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night. , when the 2018 MVP was aware that trade negotiations had intensified and a deal could be closed soon. He was sent to the Brooklyn Nets, his favorite destination, in a three-team deal the next day.
The remaining rockets responded with great determination.
“The whole team came together,” said pivot Christian Wood, who led the Rockets with 27 points, 15 rebounds and 3 blocks in victory. “I think you could see this as a blessing in disguise. Today, we all played together. Everyone was playing hard.”
The Rockets held a team meeting – without Harden – after their defeat on Tuesday to the Lakers. They “drew the line,” as rookie striker Jae’Sean Tate said, promising each other to block out the noise of Harden’s saga and fight after a disappointing start to the season.
“We got together, talked about it and it was on display tonight – just our union, our junkyard dog mentality,” said Tate. “This is what we wanted from the start of the season. There are a lot of guys – on the team, on the coaching staff and at GM – everyone has a lot to prove.”
The Rockets, who were 2-6 with Harden in uniform, are now 2-0 this season, when the eternal MVP contender doesn’t play. They managed to win this game despite playing without any proven primary handler, with Harden absent. The commercial acquisition Victor Oladipo has not yet joined the team, and John Wall (sore knee) and Eric Gordon (leg strain) have been eliminated due to injuries.
The nine available Rockets have a combined salary of $ 34.9 million, almost $ 6 million less than what Harden is earning this season.
“All the players on the team are confident that we can go out there and get the job done,” said Sterling Brown, who is doing the bare minimum for the veterans and had 23 points and 7 rebounds in victory. “That’s what it is. A lot of things were happening in the last few years and earlier this year that I have no control over … I just heard a few things and didn’t know the truth or everything that was involved.
“But this is nothing I can control. I am not worried about it. I am concerned about going here and playing hard and getting victories and getting better. That’s it.”
The 1.8m tall, 110-pound Tate, who played in Australia for two seasons after not being designed in 2018, filled the void with a striking performance that prompted Silas to make a post-game comparison with another southpaw. broad body, ex Astro of the New York Knicks and Charlotte Hornets, Anthony Mason. Tate had 13 points, 5 rebounds and 10 assists, becoming the Rockets’ first rookie since Steve Francis in 2000 to record a double-double of assist points. He also made several critical defensive plays.
“He had to do a little bit of everything,” said Silas. “Whether it was the attack, posting players or switching to top scorers, he did it all tonight. It was a lot of fun to watch.”
The Rockets played with a joy and passion that was lacking while Harden’s desire to be traded – as well as his efforts to make that happen, how to stay out of the training camp – hung over the franchise. It was a strong first step for a team that now has “real direction”, as Gordon said after the morning shootaround, with the resolution of Harden’s saga.
“It is something to build for sure,” said Silas. “We don’t want to give this much value, but it was a group with few people, obstinate and courageous who found a way to win without a main ball handler on the field. Against a very good team. The road. to make a special victory, but something we need to build on and not just rest.
“Spirit is something I believe in a lot and talk about a lot, and we had spirit tonight. The guys were rooting for each other. They were tough.”