Over the course of the first two and a half months or so of this NBA season, all the talk about the Houston Rockets was surrounding James Harden. Harden, who had five games of 50+ points leading up to the Rockets' Christmas Day game against the Warriors, brought serious discussion of whether he would average not just more than Michael Jordan's 37.1 in 1986-87, but whether he would average 40 and be the first player to do so since Wilt Chamberlain.
As we've gotten into March though, Harden has cooled - if you could call 34.9 points per game cooling when it's down from the 39.5 he averaged in November - while his running mate, Russell Westbrook, has had his best stretch of the season and one of the best of his career. Westbrook again proved as much last night in the Rockets' 111-110 win over the Boston Celtics at TD Garden.
In a national television, prime time showcase against the East's three seed, Westbrook was the best player on the floor. He went for 41 points - 20 in the first half, 21 in the second half - 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals. At one point in the game - from the end of the first quarter until 5:25 remaining in the third quarter - he and Harden had scored or assisted on 47 straight points. Westbrook was at his best - attacking, switching hands in the air, and finishing. He was also unguardable in isolation situations, easily getting by his defender with his handle. His step-back and mid-range were at their best, as was his post-up game. He punctuated his night with a big put back dunk over the Celtics' Jaylen Brown.
As Harden was the story of the Rockets in the first month and a half of the season, Westbrook has been in the new year. In January, he averaged 32.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, 8.2 assists and 2.1 steals on an efficient 52% from the field. February saw him average 33.4/7.3/6.0/1.8 on 55%. His 27.6 average on the season is the third highest of his career, His 78% from the free throw line is also the best it's been since 2016-2017. Westbrook looks bouncy again, is shooting less from the three point line, attacking more, and finishing. And it's paying off for not just him but the Rockets. The team is 12-7 in January and February combined, and has won five consecutive dating back to February 11, their last game before the All-Star break, also a win against the Celtics. Since their February 6 deal to move Clint Capela, they are 6-1.
As last season came to a disappointing end for the Thunder, when Damian Lillard sent them home in the first round with an incredible buzzer-beating three, the knock on Westbrook was, and continues to be, that he can't win - that, when things get tough and the stakes are high, he gets outplayed by other top level point guards in the game.
Right now, though, Westbrook is playing like the best point guard in the game, seeming to be on a quest to quiet all critics once and for all.
コメント