Toyota Center announcer Matt Thomas tried to use the same tone and excitement Wednesday night, when it was James Harden’s turn in the initial lineup performances as he did during the previous eight seasons.
The circumstances, of course, were quite different. It was also the reaction of Houston Rockets fans, who greeted Harden with a mixture of joy and boos as the 2017-18 MVP once again faced his former team for the first time since his award was granted. application to be switched to Brooklyn networks seven weeks ago. .
“When it came to playing in Houston, there were a lot of mixed emotions for the fans, but I knew that would happen,” Harden said. “I just wanted to go out here and give them a show.”
Harden was successful with a kind of spectacular performance that has been almost routine for him since joining the Nets. He scored 29 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists to lead Brooklyn to a 132-114 victory over the Rockets, who were injured, their eighth triple-double in 23 games for the Nets, who enter the All-Time -Star after winning 10 of his past 11 games.
It was the Rockets ’13th straight loss, which was limited to eight available players, as the franchise’s longest losing streak in two decades extended to the stars’ break.
“The way we’ve been losing, we definitely need a break to clear our minds, meet, try to get some guys healthy, try to get a full team back,” said John Wall, one of the Rockets points , who scored 36 points. to the shooting of 12 of 30 in 41 minutes. “I don’t know when we last had a full team. Tonight we came in with just eight guys, but we didn’t stop fighting. We kept competing, we kept fighting and that’s something you can respect.”
A large number of fans of people with disabilities booed Harden every time he touched the ball at the start of the game, expressing his displeasure that Harden forced the Rockets to change him, a divorce process he has acknowledged became more tense and bitter than he would have done. liked. Harden, who according to Elies Sports Bureau research, became the sixth player to post a triple-double in his first game against his former team, said the boos did not affect him.
“Once I get to that track, I just try to win,” said Harden, who was 10 to 15 years old. “I’m not really worried about anything else. That was my feeling: winning the game and doing whatever it takes to do what you’ve been doing. I wasn’t trying to brag, I wasn’t trying to do anything out of the ordinary that you haven’t been doing “.
The Rockets as an organization gave Harden a warm welcome to Houston. He chatted and hugged several Houston players and players before and after the game. A tribute video, featuring highlights from Harden’s eight seasons in Houston and his community charities, was played during the first timeout.
“You could say it meant something to him,” Nets coach Steve Nash said. “This place is special to James. Houston means a lot to him: the city, the organization, what he achieved here with this team. I know it was a great game for him. I’m proud of his way of manage it. “
Harden said he learned “on the Internet” on Tuesday that Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta plans to remove Harden’s No. 13 T-shirt and hang it on the beams of the Toyota Center.
“My reaction was that I did something right. Obviously I got to miss a championship, but work in and out [I] introduced over the last eight years was elite, “he said.” I think that’s the only thing I didn’t do or didn’t get, it was a championship, which is hard to get. But when it comes to thrilling this city, taking care of the fans on and off the track is something I’ve tried to contribute, hopefully this goes beyond that. [lack of a championship]. “