John Wall shoots James Harden after Rockets win

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James Harden is out of Houston, and his former teammates seem to be totally okay with that.

The Houston Rockets’ new look beat the Portland Trail Blazers 104-101 Thursday for their fourth straight win. The team are now 5-3 since the Harden trade.

After the game, John Wall – playmaker Harden didn’t want to play with – was asked what had changed since the start of the season. Wall said the obvious, that it’s hard to play as a team when your star is fighting for the exit:

Wall on what’s changed since the season opened in Portland: “The team weren’t where we wanted to be and we had people who didn’t want to be here, so it’s a bit difficult to play. through that. Once the trade happens, we have the team that we wanted and the guys that wanted to be here. “

– Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) January 29, 2021

Prior to the Harden trade, the Rockets were one of the most chaotic teams in the NBA. Harden was still showing big numbers and had playoff-level talent around him, but it all translated into a 3-6 record and Harden openly saying the situation was beyond repair.

So the Rockets traded him in for a package that was basically meant for Indiana Pacers star Victor Oladipo and an unholy amount of draft picks, and seemed to have settled things in the process.

The New Rockets List Starts Working

Houston Rockets goalie Eric Gordon (10) and goalie John Wall (1) celebrate after a game during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021, in Houston. (Troy Taormina / Pool photo via AP) — The Rockets seem to be having fun again. (Troy Taormina / Pool photo via AP)

The Rockets’ win over the Blazers provided a reason to believe the Rockets, now 8-9, can still have a playoff run.

Wall had 20 points and six assists. Oladipo led the team with 25 points. Christian Wood, the team’s biggest free agent acquisition, had 22 points and 12 rebounds. The entire team held the Blazers – sixth in the NBA offensive standings as of Thursday – to 101 points.

Houston’s defense has looked like a new unit since Harden left, ranking first in the NBA in defensive rankings during that span. according to StatMuse. Under new head coach Stephen Silas, the Rockets appear to be rallying:

The Rockets should have plenty of opportunities to build even more momentum, as their only opponents with a record over 0.500 over the next 10 games are the 10-8 Spurs and 7-6 Grizzlies.

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Originally published January 29, 2021 at 8:05 am

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