HONOLULU – Most of the superstars in town sat out. The one who played, however, provided the Hawaiian fans the show he promised.
With the crowd at Stan Sheriff Center egging him on to give more, Rockets guard James Harden obliged, putting up 37 points before sitting out the fourth quarter with a 24-point lead as the Rockets finished off a 109-97 roll past the Clippers.
The Clippers played without Paul George and Kawhi Leonard while the Rockets held out Russell Westbrook and small forward Danuel House Jr. The Clippers further handicapped themselves in their first preseason game by having Pat Beverley and Lou Williams sit out the second half.