The Houston Rockets had little to play for in the final game of the 2019-20 regular season after clinching the Western Conference’s No. 4 seed and their playoff matchup before tip-off. It showed on the court.
All-Star guard and MVP finalist James Harden had 27 points (56.3% FG) and 10 assists in just 26 minutes, but the Rockets were largely lethargic and uninspired on defense in Friday’s 134-96 loss (box score) to the Philadelphia 76ers (43-30). Led by 18 points and seven rebounds from Tobias Harris, the Sixers scored 71 points in just the first half and made 18-of-38 on 3-pointers (47.4%) for the game overall.
Jeff Green started and had 17 points (8-of-10 shooting, 80%) and four assists in 25 minutes, while Eric Gordon scored 13 points in 23 minutes and hit 3-of-6 from 3-point range (50%). It was a relatively encouraging shooting performance from Gordon, who is in just his second game back after missing two weeks due to a sprained left ankle.
Splash Gordon ☔️ pic.twitter.com/Dc07lP6YaR
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) August 15, 2020
After trailing by 24 at halftime, Houston starters outscored the Sixers by 13 over the first six-plus minutes of the third quarter to cut the lead to 11 points. At that point, having finally seen some positive momentum and not wanting to risk injury in a meaningless game, Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni pulled his regulars. From there, Philadelphia’s reserves outscored Houston’s reserves by 27 over the final quarter and a half.
The Rockets finished the shortened regular season at 44-28, tied with the Oklahoma City Thunder (their first-round playoff opponent) and the Utah Jazz. However, Houston places first among those teams in the three-way tiebreaker due to being the only division winner.
Russell Westbrook (right quad strain) and Danuel House Jr. (left toe sprain) did not play Friday, while all other starters played approximately two-and-a-half quarters. House is expected back for Game 1 of the playoffs next Tuesday, while Westbrook could miss additional time.
The Rockets will now turn their full attention to the 2020 playoffs. Game 1 between the Rockets and Thunder will tip off at 5:30 p.m. Central on Tuesday evening, with a national broadcast on TNT and a regional version (with Houston announcers) on AT&T SportsNet Southwest.
