One Thing to Watch: The Houston Rockets make 27 threes – to make up for the 27 missed ones
With the NBA, NHL, NASCAR and other major sports leagues and sporting events suspended or canceled, what better time to take a look back at some iconic sports moments? Each day, we’ll deliver One Thing to Watch.
When you think about the modern NBA – which includes a heavy emphasis on shooting the three – one of the teams that might come to mind is the Houston Rockets.
The Splash Brothers in Golden State might be the best shooting backcourt of all-time, but no team gets them up quite the way the Rockets do.
Case in point: Houston’s superstar James Harden has averaged north of 10 three-point attempts per game the last three seasons, and his team has led the league in threes attempted over the last four seasons, shooting more than 4o per game.
So, when the Houston Rockets are clicking on offense, that means they are more than likely connecting on a barrage of three-pointers and winning in blowout fashion, such was the case in Houston’s record-breaking performance against the Phoenix Suns on April 7, 2019.
The Rockets broke their own NBA record for made three-pointers in a single game with 27.
What made the performance so remarkable was that five days prior against the Sacramento Kings, Houston tied the NBA record for made three-pointers with 26, a record the team set earlier in the season against the Washington Wizards.
Ironically, the number 27 hasn’t always been a lucky one for Harden and Houston.
In the previous season’s Western Conference Finals, the Rockets missed 27 straight three-pointers in Game 7 against the Golden State Warriors, a game in which they lost, 101-92, finishing 4-for-44 from beyond the arc.
Presumably, for most teams, this night would have led to a completely different approach to the game in the following season. Missing out on a trip to the NBA Finals on the back of 27 straight missed three-pointers is just a tough pill to swallow.
But not the Rockets.
Much to our delight, they just keep on shooting.
