Rockets dominate Sharks to kick off preseason

In a result that should surprise no one, the Houston Rockets blew the Shanghai Sharks out of the building in the preseason opener, cruising from the opening tip till the end with a 140-71 victory.

There’s not much to really say after a game like this, as the Rockets basically just used this game as a group of live bodies. That being said, Houston did exactly what we would expect and ended this one early.

James Harden finished with a triple double, knocking down 10 points to go along with 12 rebounds, and 17 assists in just 21 minutes of action. He was finding guys all over the court, and he even tried one of his new one-legged three pointers, though he wasn’t able to hit it.

The Rockets also got 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks from Clint Capela, who dominated inside, while Gerald Green and Chris Clemons finished with 21 apiece. Clemons, in particular, was a ball of energy, and he knocked down 5-13 from three-point range. Looking forward to seeing more of him.

Ben McLemore finished with 17 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists, and he’s a guy that has the potential for a rebound year finally playing on a talented roster. He could be an interesting microwave guy off of the bench alongside Gerald Green.

Isaiah Hartenstein scored 7 points and grabbed 2 boards in just 6 minutes of court time, and looks like he put on some muscle this season, while Gary Clark scored 8 points and grabbed 10 boards in 24 minutes to round out the notables.

Not too many conclusions can be drawn, but the Rockets looked like the Rockets, and we’ll see them back in action again on Friday in Honolulu against the Los Angeles Clippers. That will be a better judge of where this team stands at an early stage.