The Brooklyn Nets played a great game against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night, winning 132-114. The Rockets were short on players leaving them with only 8 men available to play in Wednesday night’s matchup. Eight players being out for the Rockets was one reason they were unable to come out with a win.
Besides Harden, Kyrie Irving, Joe Harris, and Bruce Brown helped bring home the win for the Nets. Irving ended his night with 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists. Harris ended his night with 19 points and 2 rebounds. Lastly, Brown ended his night with 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists. Overall, the Nets had a talented team win and are on a 2-game win streak.
James Harden’s big return
James Harden had a triumphant return to Houston for Wednesday night. The Brooklyn Nets acquired Harden back in January. Although Harden has moved on to Brooklyn, he continues to give back to the city. Harden helped those in need when Houston recently faced dangerously cold weather. The Rockets will retire Harden’s number later this season, being the 7th player in franchise history to receive this honor. Harden has talked about how Houston will always be his home and his respect for the city never leaving. Despite Houston being where Harden’s roots are, he has started to make himself feel at home in Brooklyn.
The Nets have now won 10 of their last 11 games after defeating the Houston Rockets Wednesday night. Harden had a great game gaining another triple-double. This is Harden’s 8th triple-double with the Nets and his 2nd in a row. Harden scored or assisted on 59 of the points in Wednesday night’s matchup. Along with that, Harden became the sixth player to have a triple-double in their first game back against their former team. Harden ended his night in Houston on Wednesday with 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 14 assists.
The Rockets short on players
The Rockets struggled to beat the Nets as they were without 8 of their men Wednesday night. This game led to the Nets handing the Rockets their 13th straight loss. Christian Wood has been out for the Rockets since late February due to an ankle injury. Wood was averaging 22 points per game before his injury. Along with Wood, Eric Gordon was out due to a knee injury. Gordon averages 17.8 points per game. Two key high-scoring players for the Rockets on Wednesday night were John Wall and Victor Oladipo.
Although the Rockets were short on players, Wall was determined to keep going. Wall played 41 minutes Wednesday night, scoring 36 points, a season-high for him. Wall is a great offensive player who knows how to drive to the basket and pick up a foul. Oladipo also played a great offensive setting his own season-high, putting up 33 points. Despite not being able to come out with a win, both Wall and Oladipo played a great game.
Next Up
The Nets hold their No. 2 ranking in the Eastern Conference and now have a record of 24-13. As for the Rockets, their ranking at No. 14 in the western conference will remain, and their record is now 11-23. Both teams will resume their season after the NBA All-Star break. The Nets will host the Boston Celtics on March 11th at 7:30 pm. The Rockets will go on the road for their matchup against the Sacramento Kings on March 11th at 10:00 pm.
