Rockets cruise to victory in win over the 76ers

If this was a preview of a potential NBA Finals, then the Larry O’Brien Trophy is well on its way to H-Town. The Houston Rockets came away victorious in a 107-91 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, Friday night, in the Toyota Center in Houston. With the win, the Rockets recorded their seventh straight victory, and are currently 7-1 since returning from the all-star break.

Jockeying for position in the tough Western Conference, the Rockets came out and put the 76ers away early. Everything was clicking offensively for the Rockets, as they opened the game shooting 56.5 percent from the field. Houston’s hot start helped the Rockets take a commanding 37-21 lead after the first quarter.

As the Rockets continued to fire on all cylinders, the same could not be said for Philadelphia. With Joel Embiid missing his eighth straight game, the 76ers struggled on the offensive end missing their first six attempts from behind the arc.

Following a solid start, Houston went on to outscore the 76ers 50-44 over the next two quarters, which helped the Rockets record their fourth straight victory on their home floor.

As expected, it was another MVP worthy performance for James Harden, but his night almost ended prematurely. Late in the second quarter, Harden took a hard fall and appeared to had injured his right wrist. After leaving the game for a brief moment, Harden returned to the court and finish the night with 31 points and 10 rebounds in the win.

While the reigning MVP had an efficient 11-for-22 night from the field, Harden was not alone during his performance.

Clint Capela had a solid night of 18 points and nine rebounds, while Eric Gordon chipped in 17 points on 6-for-10 shooting from the field, 5-for-9 from deep. Chris Paul did not have a great shooting night scoring only four points, but CP3 and Harden accounted for 71 of the Rockets total points.

For Philadelphia, the 76ers were led by Tobias Harris who scored 22 points and nine rebounds, while Tomball native Jimmy Butler added in 19 points in the loss.

Houston moves to 40-25 with the win and up next, the Rockets will travel to Dallas for a Sunday night showdown against rookie sensation Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. CT.