James Harden was on fire Monday as he led the Houston Rockets to a 117-95 win over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Harden finished with 36 points, 21 of which were from the three-point area. He also registered nine rebounds, 11 assists, and two steals. It is performances like this that helped the 28-year-old almost win the MVP award for the 2016-17 season. Unfortunately, he lost to former teammate and Oklahoma City Thunder superstar, Russell Westbrook.
Aside from Harden, his fellow starters Clint Capela, Eric Gordon, and Trevor Ariza had excellent performances for Houston.
Capela had 19 points and nine rebounds. Gordon scored 18 points, while Ariza added 14 points and eight boards. Chris Paul missed the game for the Rockets. Paul sat out due to a bruised right shoulder.
Rockets' preseason
James Harden and the Houston Rockets are nearing the end of their preseason campaign. However, things will get harder for them in their last two games. The Rockets are putting their unblemished record on the line when they take on the Memphis Grizzlies on October 11 and the San Antonio Spurs on October 13. The contest versus the Grizzlies will be held at the FedEx Forum, while the one facing the Spurs is going to be at the Toyota Center.
Losing streak continues
If the Houston Rockets are undefeated this preseason, it is different for the New York Knicks.
The Knicks are winless in four games. Before falling to the Rockets Monday, they lost to the Brooklyn Nets twice and to the Washington Wizards.
In the game versus Houston, Tim Hardaway Jr. emerged for the Knicks. Hardaway tallied had 21 points, that came with three rebounds, an assist, and three steals. The veteran Michael Beasley and rookie Damyean Dotson contributed 17 points each off the bench.
Enes Kanter was close to a double-double performance as he recorded 14 points and eight rebounds.
The Knicks played without the face of the franchise, Kristaps Porzingis. Porzingis is dealing with hip soreness. According to ESPN, Porzingis felt the pain Sunday during their defeat to the Brooklyn Nets. It remains uncertain when the 22-year-old could return to action for New York.
Head coach Jeff Hornacek is hoping that Porizingis will be able to participate in their final preseason outing on Friday. The Knicks are hosting the Washington Wizards for a rematch. They are starting the regular season on October 19 where they will meet the Oklahoma City Thunder.
