James Harden and Russell Westbrook make up one of the most talked-about duos in the NBA right now. The two played together back in Oklahoma City and fans are hoping they can rekindle their exceptional chemistry. On Thursday night, they had the opportunity to prove their worth as they took on the Milwaukee Bucks in the Houston Rockets season opener. In the end, it was a rough night for Harden who only put up 19 points as the Rockets lost by a score of 117-111.
The Bucks got a nice amount of offense from their star player Giannis Antetokounmpo who went off for 30 points and a triple-double. Harden and Giannis are MVP contenders so pundits were curious to see how they would stack up against one another. After the game, Harden admitted that much of the blame for the loss was on him, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.
Harden and the Rockets were one of the most scrutinized teams in the league last season due to their lack of playoff success. Harden was a prolific scorer throughout the regular season but the postseason performances left a lot to be desired.
Having said that, there is still plenty of basketball left to be played this season so Rockets fans shouldn't get too worried just yet.