Shorthanded Rockets cruise to Game 1 victory over Thunder

People seem to forget that even without Russell Westbrook, the Rockets still have arguably the best offensive player in the last decade running the show for Houston.

James Harden led a collective charge for a fresh and energetic Rockets squad that started hot out of the gate and never looked back, propelling Houston to a 123-108 victory on Tuesday evening.

In the absence of Russell Westbrook, James Harden took on a bulk of the scoring load, as well as the offensive show-running. He had an early eight points in eight and a half minutes, which included two early three point shots.

Of course, against a team as good defensively as Oklahoma City, you need the secondary and bench players to step up in a big way, and they answered the call. In only his second game back from injury, Eric Gordon was a consistent offensive threat, cutting for quick layups and hitting open threes.

What was most surprising, however, was the defensive intensity the Rockets showed throughout the night. Their defensive rotations were crisp and effective, consistently closed out on shooters, and perhaps most importantly, finished defensive possessions with rebounds. That was enough to help them get off to an early 28-20 lead.

Houston's good start helped build toward an explosive second quarter that saw the team score 40 points during the period. James Harden continued on his effective scoring pace, ending the half with 15, one less than Gordon's 16. Jeff Green got in on the action with 13 points, continuing to produce from the backup center role.

Another big quarter in the third ballooned Houston's lead to 21 at the end of three. James Harden's point total nearly doubled in the quarter with a total of 27 (5-10 from three) after three, while former Rocket Chris Paul was held to a measly 11 points after three quarters. Houston would let up a bit in the fourth quarter, but would hold on enough to keep the comfortable lead to the game's end.

James Harden finished with 37 points on an efficient 12-22 from the field (6-13 3PT%), to go with eleven rebounds and three assists. Jeff Green was scorching from the bench, dropping 22 points with six rebounds and four assists. Eric Gordon had 21.

Houston resumes the series on Thursday, with Game 2 slated for 2:30 PM CT. Russell Westbrook is presumed to be unavailable for Game 2.