Behind James Harden’s 38 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists, the Rockets routed the Wizards in Houston, 120-104. The Rockets have the best record in the NBA for a reason, and they displayed that on Tuesday night.
The Rockets shot 51.2% from the field, made 16 3-pointers, and out-scored the Wizards 48-28 in the paint en route to the win. The Rockets had 17 second chance points to the Wizards’ two and won the battle on the boards 46-36. Houston dominated Washington offensively, though
scoring was not an issue for the Wizards.
Washington shot 52.8% from the field overall in the game, including 48.0% from beyond the arc. Other than their 17 turnovers, the Wizards were able to score at will against the Rockets. However, defensively, the Wizards had no answer for the Rockets’ dynamic and historic offense.
John Wall had nine points and 10 assists in his second game back, but struggled to take care of the ball with eight turnovers. Bradley Beal finished with 27 points in 28-plus minutes, though he was dealing with foul trouble a good portion of the game.
The Rockets controlled the game from the get-go, starting with a 35-24 edge in the first quarter. Houston owned an 18-0 advantage in the paint in the first quarter, and would finish the first half with 26 points in the paint to the Wizards’ six. Washington turned it over 11 times for 13 Houston points in the first half, which didn’t help the team’s cause.
Harden had 24 points, seven assists, and five rebounds just in the first half, making impressive stepback jump shots and setting up his teammates for easy looks. The Wizards struggled to contain Harden’s playmaking, trailing 71-49 at the half.
The Wizards were able to go on a 12-4 run in the fourth quarter to bring the game within 13 points, but the Rockets put them away late to prevent anything near a comeback.
Coming up next, the Wizards finish their road trip in Cleveland on Thursday against the Cavaliers at 8:00pm. With the loss and the Heat’s win, the Wizards are now in the No. 7 seed in the East with four games left in the regular season.