Harden dominant in return to Houston, Nets send Rockets into All-Star break with 13th straight loss

Photo courtesy of Maria Lysaker/NBAE via Getty Images

The end of the first half of the season for the Houston Rockets ended with more flair than most teams have in a full season -- a dramatic reunion with a former flame, two season-highs from star players, and the Rockets once again getting spanked on national television.

In James Harden's first game in Houston since being traded to the Brooklyn Nets at the end of a long, arduous fallout, the former Rocket led his new team to an easy victory against his old team by a score of 132-114 on Wednesday night.

There was plenty of fanfare and speculation following the return of Harden -- who spent eight All-Star seasons with Houston -- and that sentiment was certainly reflected in his first introduction in the Toyota Center as a Brooklyn Net.

Still, the general fanbase, along with the Rockets organization itself, was positive and thankful for the time Harden spent in Houston, exemplified by the tribute video the team played minutes before tip-off.

And truly, there is a lot to be grateful for. Messy ending aside, Harden really did connect with the city and its fans, along with contributing to some pretty successful seasons, the likes of which hadn't been seen since Olajuwon was still in a Houston jersey. The accolades and wins speak for themselves, and Harden deserves his flowers -- he is, without a doubt, one of the best Rockets to ever don the jersey.

Now, on to the actual game.

Current Rockets John Wall and Victor Oladipo had what was easily their best game as a duo this year, each of them going off for 30+ points in their duel against Harden and fellow star guard Kyrie Irving. The two combined for a total of 69 points, more than half of the team's total on the evening.

Wall surpassed his previous season-high of 32 with 36 (12-30 shooting) against Brooklyn, while also giving out five assists.

Victor Oladipo, meanwhile, dropped his new season-high in the loss, going for 33 points (9-25 shooting), seven rebounds, and five assists.

Once again, however, it was defense and the supporting cast that failed to propel the Rockets to victory. Though, it was easy to see why -- just hours before the game, it was announced that Eric Gordon, Danuel House Jr. and Rodions Kurucs would be unavailable. Additionally, David Nwaba was revealed to have seriously injured his wrist, and announced surgery that would keep him out for six weeks.

That left the Rockets with eight players, right at the required amount for the N.B.A. to carry on with the basketball game. Two of those eight players were two-way players Mason Jones and Justin Patton, the latter of which was signed barely more than a week ago.

The result of such a thin roster? Hardly any production outside of the two starting backcourt members (the next highest-scoring Rocket was Jae'Sean Tate's 12), and a torching defensively against the lethal Nets offense. Brooklyn easily shot over 50% from the floor, and was just under 50% from three on their 35 attempts.

The rebounding discrepancy was also, once again, a large factor. Brooklyn managed to snag 53 rebounds, while the Rockets could only grab 37.

When all was said and done, James Harden earned himself a triple-double in his new team's win, becoming the sixth player in league history to drop a triple-double in his first game against his former team, while also propelling his squad to their tenth win in their last eleven games. The Rockets, meanwhile, will head into the break in the cellar of the Western Conference, with a lot to think about.

Houston -- who is without an All-Star for the first time in eight years -- currently sits at 11-23, and the losers of 13 straight contests, most of which haven't been close. The return of Christian Wood and addition of Kevin Porter Jr. will help things when the break ends, but considering the future of the squad and their realistic chances of making the playoffs, it might not be in their best interest to win.

The Rockets will return to the court a week from Thursday on March 11, against the Sacramento Kings. Barring any schedule changes, tip-off will be slated for 9 PM CT.