Harden-less Rockets beat Kings behind lockdown second half

Photo courtesy of Carmen Mandato/USA TODAY Sports

Normally, no James Harden for the Rockets is a cause for concern. Today, however, concerns were at an all-time low.

The Houston Rockets downed the Sacramento Kings for the second straight time late Saturday afternoon by a score of 102-94, marking their second win of the season despite a late Harden scratch before tip-off at 4PM CT.

The team scored their lowest point total of the year (which was to be expected without Harden), but the squad more than made up for it with an absolutely stellar second half. Houston, normally infamous for their poor defense, absolutely shut down Sacramento in the second half—after allowing 64 points in the first half, Houston allowed just 30 for the remaining 24 minutes.

Houston's defensive masterpiece could be attributed to a host of key players, including lengthy wings Jae'Sean Tate and David Nwaba, along with backup center and defensive stalwart DeMarcus Cousins. It was John Wall, however, who led the charge on defense with sheer effort and hustle, despite not having played for over two years before yesterday's game. Wall compiled three steals and two blocks on defense, serving as a spark plug for the team.

Wall was sensational all-around in his second game as a Rocket, going for 28 points along with six assists and four rebounds.

Christian Wood, surprise, had another great game as a Houston Rocket. He went for 20 points and 15 rebounds, with his four blocks also proving invaluable on the defensive end. He managed to thrive despite getting into early foul trouble in the third quarter.

After a back-and-forth first half, Houston absolutely turned it on in the second half. After allowing a mere 17 points in the third quarter, the Rockets allowed only two points during the first eight minutes of the fourth quarter. Despite only scoring 19 points in the fourth quarter themselves, their effort on the defensive end proved to be more than enough to secure the victory.

It was an effort the team took a lot of pride in, especially John Wall. "When I'm healthy I can be a lockdown defender," he said after the game. "I bring so much to the game other than scoring."

"[John] lays his body on the line a lot and he plays hard," P.J. Tucker echoed. "He plays with a lot of intensity. You can't put a value on that."

As of now, the value of Houston's defensive intensity has earned them their second straight win. They'll head into a home matchup against the Dallas Mavericks (who may or may not have Luka Dončić due to injury) with a .500 record. Coach Silas said that he didn't know whether or not James Harden would be available for Monday's game, but after today, that may not be as big an issue as one might have previously thought.