WEEK IN REVIEW
Rockets recap: Perfect start includes big win over Warriors
Oct 23, 2017, 6:40 am
James Harden is off to a fast start. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
You would think that upsetting the reigning NBA champions on their home court en route to an undefeated first week of the season would be a little more attention grabbing here in Houston.
You would, of course, be wrong. If you’re like the majority of the city, then the Houston Astros have probably kept you spellbound for at least the past week, leaving little room for the Rockets at the moment. If that’s the case, don’t worry. Keep watching the Astros, and I’ll keep you updated on the Rockets. We’ll get through this together.
Game one: Rockets at Golden State Warriors (W, 122-121)
The Rockets opened up the regular season by defeating the Golden State Warriors on opening night, and the big question was how Chris Paul and James Harden would work on the floor together. The short answer is not great at the moment. Paul left the game late in the fourth with a knee injury that looks to keep him sidelined for at least a few weeks, so we’ll have to wait a little longer to answer that question. New free agent acquisitions Luc Mbah a Moute and P.J. Tucker shined off the bench, combining for 34 points and 10 rebounds. Harden finished with 27 points, 6 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Game two: Rockets at Sacramento Kings (W, 105-100)
Part two of the Rockets’ West Coast mini tour sent them to basketball’s elephant graveyard: Sacramento. The Kings’ decided to protect the three3point line and were summarily gutted by Harden and center Clint Capela. Capela finished the game 10-12 from the field with 22 points, 17 rebounds, and 3 steals Harden struggled from the three point range (4 of 14), but ended the night with 27 points, 3 rebounds and 9 assists. As a side note, the Kings’ look like they struck gold with De’Aaron Fox. That is a fast human being with what looked like a Kobe-esque mean streak. He’s not Kobe, I’m not saying that, but the kid plays with intensity.
Game three: Rockets vs Dallas Mavericks (W, 107-91)
Saturday night the Rockets extended their unbeaten start to the season with a convincing home opener win over the Mavericks. In a surprisingly dominant defensive showcase, the Rockets held the Mavs to 20 points or less in each of the first three quarters. Trevor Ariza led the effort with four steals which contributed to a 34 point lead by the start of the fourth quarter. Harden finished his early night with 29 points, 3 rebounds and 7 assists. Dirk Nowitzki was held to just 2 points.
Takeaways:
●Three games into the season and nothing suggests that James Harden has any increased interested in playing defense.
●The Rockets’ sharp shooters haven’t started out very sharp. Ryan Anderson is firing the three at a 31.6% clip, which is outpacing Eric Gordon and his 20% success rate.
●Despite the sluggish start from three, Gordon is picking up right where he left off in terms of the production that led to his 6thman of the year award last season, averaging 22 points per game so far.
Rockets Player of the week (not named James Harden): Clint Capela. After a monster game against Sacramento, Capela has started the season averaging 15.7 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. He’s the prototype center for a team that runs as much as the Rockets do.
Looking Ahead
The Rockets will get two looks at the Memphis Grizzlies along with bouts against the winless 76ers and the 1-1 Hornets. If the Rockets can neutralize Marc Gasol, it’s very possible that the team could be celebrating Halloween unbeaten.
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Nick Chubb didn’t expect to be a Houston Texan. At least, not until he got the call on a quiet Saturday at home and was on a flight the next day. It happened fast — too fast, even, for the four-time Pro Bowler to fully process what it all meant. But now that he’s here, it’s clear this wasn’t a random landing spot. This was a calculated leap, one Chubb had been quietly considering from afar.
The reasons he chose Houston speak volumes not only about where Chubb is in his own career, but where the Texans are as a franchise.
For one, Chubb saw what the rest of the league saw the last two seasons: a young team turning the corner. He admired the Texans from a distance — the culture shift under head coach DeMeco Ryans, the explosive rise of C.J. Stroud, and the physical tone set by players like Joe Mixon. That identity clicked with Chubb. He’d been a fan of Ryans for years, and once he got in the building, everything aligned.
“I came here and saw a bunch of guys who like to work and not talk,” Chubb said. “And I realized I'm a perfect fit.”
As for his health, Chubb isn’t running from the injuries that cost him parts of the past two seasons, he’s owning them. But now, he says, they’re behind him. After a full offseason of training the way he always has — hitting his speed and strength benchmarks — Chubb says he’s feeling the best he has in years. He’s quick to remind people that bouncing back from major injuries, especially the one he suffered in 2023, is rarely a one-year journey. It takes time. He’s given it time.
Then there’s his fit with Mixon. The two aren’t just stylistic complements, they go way back. Same recruiting class, same reputation for running hard, same respect for each other’s games. Chubb remembers dreading matchups against the Bengals in Cleveland, worrying Mixon would take over the game. Now, he sees the opportunity in pairing up. “It’ll be us kinda doing that back-to-back against other defenses,” he said.
He’s also well aware of what C.J. Stroud brings to the table. Chubb watched Stroud nearly dismantle Georgia in the College Football Playoff. Then he saw it again, up close, when Stroud lit up the Browns in the postseason. “He torched us again,” Chubb said. Now, he gets to run alongside him, not against him.
Stroud made a point to welcome Chubb, exchanging numbers and offering support. It may seem like a small thing, but it’s the kind of leadership that helped sell Chubb on the Texans as more than just a good football fit — it’s a good locker room fit, too.
It appears the decision to come to Houston wasn’t part of some master plan. But in retrospect, it makes perfect sense. Chubb is a player with a no-nonsense work ethic, recovering from adversity, looking to write the next chapter of a career that’s far from over. And the Texans? They’re a team on the rise, built around guys who want to do the same.
You can watch the full interview in the video below.
And for those wondering how Joe Mixon feels about Nick Chubb, check out this video from last season. Let's just say he's a fan.
I’ve seen some speculation indicating that Joe Mixon may not be happy the Texans signed Nick Chubb. If that is what you believe, watch this clip from an interview with @greenlight pod last year & get back to me. pic.twitter.com/3vaip85esj
— Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) June 11, 2025
*ChatGPT assisted.
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