LOS ANGELES – With Rockets defend James Harden producing one of the all-time great offensive seasons, train Mike D’Antoni drove back tough questions and grievances about the style of play.
Harden is averaging 36.6 factors and 7.7 assists in line with the game. He went into Thursday’s game with a 31-game streak with at least 30 points.
He has averaged 40 points in a span of 34 video games, the second one-longest in league history, with the Rockets’ offense going from fifth in the NBA to second in that span. In contrast, the Rockets went 22-12 despite the absences of Chris Paul (for 17 games), Clint Capela (for 15 video games), and Eric Gordon (for 8 games to that extent.) The Rockets were eleven-12 before that run.
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“First of all, it’s absurd,” D’Antoni said. “He’s doing what we want to do to try to get a top seeding. He held the deliver upright and now not only upright, but we climbed a lot with Clint, Eric, Chris being out. What else is he speculated to do, no longer do it? The change became to lose. He wasn’t doing that.
“I could move on for days. It doesn’t make any feel. We’re the second-quality offensive group in the league. His performance is off the charts. He’s playing higher this year than he did final yr (while) he changed into MVP. It doesn’t make any experience.”
D’Antoni notably disputed the notion the fashion cannot work within the postseason, announcing there may be no proof of that due to the fact previous high scorers had been less green. Of players to common 35 factors in a season, Harden is capturing less regularly, scoring higher in keeping with possession (seeing that those facts commenced being stored in 1972-73) and gambling fewer minutes while averaging more assists.
“People say you can’t play that manner and win. That is absurd,” D’Antoni stated. “I do not know if they watched the last yr. I don’t even recognize if that comes into the discussion. Nobody else can do what he does; they’ve never have carried it out. If you are a ball stopper, typically, you are inefficient. He’s very efficient. So when the ball stops, it’s an excellent thing.
“I can pass on and on and on. People do not take a look at stats or statistics or pursue it a little similar. However, it is now not proper.”
