Act Two of the James Harden and Jeremy Lin show was a smashing success Friday night, leading the Houston Rockets (2-0) to a 109-102 victory over the Atlanta Hawks (0-1) Friday night.
Harden, fresh of his 37-point, 12 assist performance against the Detroit Pistons Wednesday in the Rockets' season opener, topped himself with a career-high 45 points, capping it with seven rebounds and two assists on 14-of-19 shooting from the field, 15-for-17 in free throws.
With his sizzling second game, Harden, the Rockets' new $80 million acquisition, is looking more and more like a superstar on the rise in Houston. Not bad for last year's Sixth Man of the Year with the Oklahoma City Thunder, now flourishing in his newfound role as the starting shooting guard for the red-hot Rockets after being traded last weekend from the Thunder to Houston.
"It's a lot different," Harden said after the game to the Associated Press. "Having the offense run basically through you, it's a lot different, but that's my job now so I've got to get used to it."
"He's pretty good, I'd say," Rockets coach Kevin McHale told the Associated Press, according to ESPN. "He just kept battling and playing."
Lin, who had a very strong showing with a double-double of 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, gave rave reviews for his new partner-in-crime, telling the Press that Harden "makes a very big difference."
"He frees everybody up," Lin said. "He knows what he's doing. We're thankful that he showed up."
With the game tied 92-92 in the fourth quarter, Harden scored two straight buckets, including a three-point play, to give Houston the go-ahead lead. Chandler Parsons' 3-pointer with 1:55 remaining pushed the lead to 100-94.
Shooting guard Louis Williams led Atlanta with 22 points in his Hawks' debut. Star small forward Josh Smith chipped in with a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds for Atlanta.
The Rockets will host their season home opener against the Portland Trail Blazers tonight at 8 p.m. at the Toyota Center in Houston, Tex. For more information, visit the NBA's official web site.
- Contribute to this Story:
- Send us a tip
- Send us a photo or video
- Suggest a correction
