The Houston Rockets have had the Denver Nuggets’ number all season, and that was no different on Thursday night, winning 112-85.
Sure, James Harden and Clint Capela’s box scores stood out as very very good, but it was the team’s defense that really shone.
The Rockets have had the NBA’s second-best defensive rating since the All-Star break: 105.3.
“If we play defense like that, we can win the title,” guard Austin Rivers told ESPN. “That’s what we believe around here.”
Houston also leads the NBA in steals per game (9.3) and turnover percentage (16.0) since the All-Star break.
Sure there have only been 19 games — the Rockets are a league-leading 15-4 — since the All-Star break, but remember at the beginning of the season when Houston was 11-14 and counted out by everyone? If this team finishes its last six games of the season this strong, then there is no reason to think they can’t go all the way and to the NBA finals.
Since the break, the Rockets are one of three teams in the top six in offensive and defensive efficiency since the break. The Milwaukee Bucks are Utah Jazz are the other two.
Since that 11-14 start, the Rockets have 37-14 since then. Last year when the 65-17 Rockets were one win away from making the NBA Finals, they were No. 7 in defensive efficiency, per NBA.com.
Will their defense be the difference maker this time?
