Houston Rockets hosted James Harden and the Los Angeles Clippers on their way to their 3rd consecutive win on Wednesday night. This was the first of two straight games against the Clippers, as the two will meet again Friday night in the first NBA Cup game of the season.

Clippers closed the first quarter ahead 22-11. Harden couldn’t miss his first three shots from the field. All three were from behind the arc, and Harden started with a quick nine points.

Harden looked like he could do whatever he wanted on the court as none of the Rockets’ starters could find a way to slow him down. The Rockets went to the bench looking for answers, as they have all season, and Amen Thompson answered the call.

Thompson made his presence felt early and often. First, Thompson had a block chance that gave the Rockets a basket, and then he threw another block to Harden. In the second quarter, Thompson managed to get the ball away from Harden, forcing him to hit a desperation three-pointer that rang out from midcourt.

This wasn’t just his defense. Thompson finished the game with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Additionally, the Rockets’ most consistent player, Tari Eason, has made a significant impact all season long. Eason was flying all over the field as usual.

Eason’s energy and Thompson’s all-around effort translated into a slow start in the first and second half. The starters seem to be stuck in the mud at times, and the Rockets’ energy seems to instantly increase as soon as the bench enters the game.

Eason had a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. He continued his impressive season after missing most of last year due to injury. Although the Clippers narrowed the gap to six points, the Rockets managed to pull back in the final moments of the game.

Although Eason and Thompson were the stars off the bench, the entire Rockets’ secondary made plays throughout the game. Jock Landale returned after a one-game layoff and provided a lot of energy to the sting, and even Reed Sheppard made a few good defensive plays to help extend the lead.

The Rockets are riding a season-high three-game winning streak and are now a season-best four games above .500. They will take to the court again on Friday night and aim to defeat the Clippers in the second of two consecutive games against each other.

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