For all the times the Rockets had faced a bad team and acted as if they could get by with an occasional offensive blast, this time they could not help it. They were right.
The Rockets were never particularly sharp, but they did not have to be, rolling with ease past the Knicks, 123-112, leading by as much as 25 and shifting into cruise control early.
James Harden, who arrived in Houston from the remembrance ceremony for Kobe and Gianna Bryant less than two hours before tip, led the Rockets, scoring 31 of his 37 points in the first half as six Rockets scored in double figures even with Russell Westbrook sitting out with a sore left thumb.