houston rockets

Seriously, What The Hell Happened To James Harden?

It’s so rare that a star athlete puts forward such an unbelievably bad performance in a big game that observers immediately start reaching for out-there theories to explain what they are seeing, but what are we supposed to do with this?

James Harden Comes To Houston To Watch Rockets Take On Spurs

Kawhi Leonard didn’t play for the Spurs tonight, and it ultimately didn’t matter too much. Jonathon Simmons started in his stead and rose to the occasion, scoring 18, while LaMarcus Aldridge led the team with 34 and San Antonio cruised to an easy 114-75 win along with a Western Conference Finals berth.

Old Man Manu Ginobili Saved The Spurs

Kawhi Leonard didn’t take the court for the Spurs’ final play of regulation. After Patty Mills inexplicably head faked James Harden with 0.4 seconds left and nailed a shot well after the buzzer, Leonard still didn’t see the court in overtime. The beating heart of the Spurs missed most of the game’s most critical…

This Shit? I'm Still Sick Of It.

Remember that shit from the first round of the playoffs? That shit is still going on, and I still hate it.

Spurs Hang With Rockets For Less Time Than It Took To Write This Blog

The ever-steady San Antonio Spurs were supposed to present a stiff challenge to the Rockets. Instead, they got cooked, broken down, and eaten by a ravenous Rockets team without putting up a fight.

Patrick Beverley And Russell Westbrook Will Probably Hate Each Other Forever

Patrick Beverley is a highly flammable substance, and last night Russell Westbrook, down by three and going out in a blaze of glory, lit him up. Maybe for old times’ sake. They then had a funny spat that produced some historically good Russ Faces.

It Was Always Going To End This Way For Russell Westbrook

I wouldn’t blame anyone for wanting to swear off basketball forever after watching the fourth quarter of Game 5 between the Rockets and Thunder, which was defined by ill-advised foul calls and ill-advised shots, most of them coming from the Thunder’s star player, Russell Westbrook.

The Thunder Didn't Stand A Chance

The Houston Rockets won Game 5 over the Thunder tonight, shooting their way out of a handful of Russell Westbrook-induced holes and taking a close one, 105-99. Much like the entire series, the game was excruciating to watch and the Thunder’s brief flickers of life did little to stave off the feeling that they were…

Rockets Owner Leslie Alexander Looked Really Quite Mad At This Referee

The first-round series between the Rockets and Thunder is already plenty spicy on the court, and it’s only getting more contentious thanks to the involvement of both teams’ ownership groups. This weekend, the NBA said it was looking into a postgame incident between Patrick Beverley and the son of Thunder minority…

Steven Adams And Russell Westbrook Smoothly Turned A Missed Free Throw Into Three Points

Rarely does an offensive rebound off an intentionally flubbed free throw work, but Oklahoma City Thunder teammates Steven Adams and Russell Westbrook pulled it off and made the most of it.

I'm Sick Of This Shit

Look at this shit. This shit sucks.

The Rockets Were Straight Up Laughing At Andre Roberson

Professional athletes do and say a lot of mean things to each other over the course of a game, but I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen anything as disrespectful as the Rockets’ bench treating Andre Roberson’s bricked free throw into a live comedy special.

NBA Investigating Postgame Incident Between Patrick Beverley And Fan In Oklahoma City

The NBA is looking into an incident between Rockets guard Patrick Beverley and a fan that occurred after Friday’s Game 3 in Oklahoma City.

Russell Westbrook Is Out Of Gas And The Thunder Are Dead

For the first time I can remember, Russell Westbrook looked tired tonight.

Once Again, The Thunder Have An Enes Kanter Problem

In what was a thoroughly embarrassing 31-point Game 1 defeat at the hands of the Houston Rockets, perhaps no Thunder player was exposed more than backup center Enes Kanter.

Steven Adams Annihilated Patrick Beverley

NUPE IT.

What Does An Argument For Kawhi Leonard's MVP Candidacy Really Say?

The NBA regular season is over and done with, and as the dust settles before the playoffs start this weekend, it’s time to take stock of what looks like the closest MVP race since Steve Nash won his second consecutive award after the 2005-06 season. Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and LeBron James are…

Draymond Green Tries To Explain Foul Of James Harden: "He Pinched Me, So I Punched His Wrist"

And now for another entry in the Draymond Green book of natural acts, after a third-quarter squabble with James Harden last night:

James Harden Should Probably Take Some Time Off

James Harden did not have a very good game against the Warriors last night, despite finishing with 24 points, 13 assists, and 11 rebounds. Move down the box score a bit, and you’ll see that he was 5-of-20 from the field and 1-of-9 from three-point range. What was to blame for the rough shooting night? Probably his…

Get A Load Of This Incredible Game-Winning Sequence From Kawhi Leonard

The Rockets went to San Antonio tonight to play the Spurs and give us all a preview of what the Western Conference semifinals will be like. For most of the game, Houston was in control. James Harden scored 18 points in the first quarter and the Rockets led by double digits from early in the first quarter to halfway…

James Harden Says Last Year Was The Worst Of His Life

James Harden’s 2015-16 season with the Houston Rockets was swallowed up by interpersonal drama and an unwanted transition to a more high-profile lifestyle, according to a new profile by Lee Jenkins for Sports Illustrated.

Report: Lou Williams Traded To The Houston Rockets

Attention: The stove is hot and the Lakers braintrust is ready to cook.

Sage Northcutt Takes Dark Turn, Beats Ass Of Houston Rockets Mascot

We’ve finally found something that can turn Sage Northcutt, once an innocent apple-ripping MMA-fighting puppy dog, into a ruthless assassin: Mascots.

Tim Hardaway Jr. Went Bonkers And Outdueled James Harden

With just over eight minutes left tonight, the Houston Rockets held a 20-point led over the Atlanta Hawks. James Harden was cooking and scoring from wherever he wanted and his fearsome arsenal of shooters were doing their thing. Teams with the best player on the court playing at home against a team on the second night…

Mike D'Antoni Joins Ongoing Roast Of Alternative Facts-Peddler Sean Spicer

The Rockets have gone 3-5 over their past eight games, but if you look at those numbers in a different light, they’ve actually gone 8-0. Most cowardly media elites won’t tell you this.

James Harden Vs. Giannis Antetokounmpo Was Fun As Hell

Here’s how good James Harden has been this year: Russell Westbrook is averaging a triple double over halfway through the season for the first time in over 50 years, and yet the general consensus around the NBA is that the virtual MVP award is a tossup between Harden and Westbrook. While Westbrook is getting his…

The Rockets And Mavericks Really Dislike Each Other

Beef! We’ve got beef! Fire up the grill and lay out your finest red checkered tablecloth, because the Rockets and the Mavericks engaged in some tender, juicy, USDA prime, high-marbled beef.

Rockets Rookie's Campaign To Bring Back Granny Free Throws Finally Reaches NBA

It’s been a long journey for our intrepid hero, the free throw retro-innovator Chinanu Onuaku. The first-year Houston Rocket managed to toss up a couple of his trademark underhand free throws in a preseason trip to China earlier this year, but tonight was the first time he managed to display his beautiful shooting motion in a regular season NBA game:

Report: CBA Has Exceptions So Harden And Westbrook Can Get Paid This Year

At first it appeared that the new CBA’s “Kevin Durant Rule,” which allows NBA teams to offer fatter contracts to keep their superstars from flirting with other options in free agency, would leave the Thunder and Rockets feeling like idiots. Last summer both teams just signed their cornerstones—Russell Westbrook and James Harden, respectively—to contract extensions, unaware that they’d have a more powerful option available if they’d waited just one year longer. Ordinarily, a player would not be able to sign contract extensions in consecutive years, but Yahoo Sports reports that the CBA has carved out specific exceptions for both of these players, because their teams’ behavior fit the spirit of the rule: keeping superstars in place.