HOUSTON - Magla-laro ang Rockets na wala ang kanilang Kia MVP candidate na si James Harden sa loob ng halos dalawang linggo bunga ng hamstring injury na nangyari sa New Year’s Eve laban sa Los Angeles Lakers.
Sinabi ni Houston coach Mike D’Antoni sa mga reporters na kailangan nilang manalo nang wala ang kanilang superstar.
Ang unang gagawin ng Rockets ay ang paghahanap ng sasalo sa trabaho ni Harden .
Kaagad itong ibinigay kay reigning Kia Sixth Man of the Year Eric Gordon.
“We will adjust,” wika ni Mike D’Antoni. “It’s an opportunity for other people to play. (Chris Paul) will still lead the charge. We have to just make the best of a bad situation, but everyone deals with it. There’s no reason we can’t deal with it.”
Nagposte si Gordon ng mga averages na 19.4 points, 2 rebounds at 2 assists per outing.
“We will definitely have to adjust how we play, the man averages 30 points a game,” wika naman ni Paul. “We will be OK, though. We have a great group. We have guys who have played a lot of minutes and now it means a little more.It will be by committee.”
Palalakasin din ni D’Antoni ang depensa ng Rockets at umaasang makakabalik si Harden sa lalong madaling panahon.
“He’s going to be bored out of his mind, four weeks, two weeks, whatever it is,” ani D’Antoni. “He’ll do what he needs to do and then he’ll get back as soon as he can.”