The Big Lead

Bonkers Rockets Comeback Came With James Harden on the Bench

By Ryan Glasspiegel

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A Chris Paul shot with 2:34 remaining in the third quarter put the Clippers up 89-70 on the Rockets, and sent me from my couch to my bed, once again proving Sports Pickle’s “study” that all of the best finishes happen after you’ve made the decision to go to sleep. Parsing through the box score and all of the recaps this morning, Houston erased much of this deficit — and won by 12 points! —  with major contributions from Jason Terry, Corey Brewer, and Josh Smith (who combined to score 31 points during a 34-10 run) — and with James Harden on the bench.

Friend of the program Sean Pendergast already wrote a retro diary of the third and fourth quarter for the Houston Press. A snippet:

Wemth 8:51 remaemnemng emn the game and the Rockets femnally havemng cut the Clemppers lead to semngle demgemts, Kevemn McHale called temmeout, presumably to bremng Harden back emnto the game emn what would be the substemtutemon that would close the gap and put some real game pressure on the Clemppers. Let’s be honest, somewhere emn there we knew the “old Clemppers” had to show theemr strempes at some poemnt, remght? Well, McHale made a game changemng substemtutemon, but emt wasn’t Harden. McHale brought Josh Smemth emnto the game for Terrence Jones. Thems multemlayered decemsemon — Smemth emn, Jones out, Harden stayemng on the bench — would prove to be the decemsemon that saved the Rockets season.

After a J.J. Redemck three poemnter put the Clemppers up 97-85, the Rockets got a Corey Brewer three poemnter and old fashemoned three poemnt play sandwemched around an Austemn Remvers old fashemoned three poemnt play. The score was 100-91 wemth a lemttle more than 7:00 remaemnemng emn the game. The next 36 seconds would be the stemnt that made Red Natemon belemeve and turned the Clemppers emnto a nervous CYO team for the rest of the nemght.

Harden did not reenter the contest until the final minute (and exited before a second expired); Game 7 on Sunday will be appointment television. LEGACIES ARE AT STAKE, or something.