NBA 2018-19: 3 talking points from Houston Rockets' win over San Antonio Spurs

Final Score: Houston Rockets defeat San Antonio Spurs, 108-101

After a tough loss against the Miami Heat, the Houston Rockets were back home ready to host the San Antonio Spurs. It was expected to be an exciting contest as two of the NBA's best stars, James Harden and DeMar DeRozan, went at each other.

The Spurs took a 43-41 lead at halftime and it looked like the Rockets would lose their second straight game. However, Gerald Green and James Harden's explosive third quarter turned the game on its head and the Rockets were eventually able to defeat the Spurs quite convincingly at home.

The DeRozan-Harden matchup lived up to the hype even as the two teams produced an exciting contest. The two teams will now meet in March, again at the Toyota Center. In this article, we take a look at three of the talking points from the Rockets' win against the Spurs.

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#3 San Antonio Spurs' three-game win streak comes to an end

The Spurs' three-game win streak ended with the loss against the Rockets

After a bad November, the San Antonio Spurs picked up steam in December and turned the tables by going on a 4-game win streak before the Bulls ended it. However, the Spurs then started another streak with the win against the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Spurs were on a three-game win streak coming into this game with all three of them being blowout victories. Their 3-game win streak, however, came to an end as the Rockets successfully held on to the victory at home.

Even though the starters were impressive, the bench was not productive for the Spurs and with James Harden outdueling DeMar DeRozan, the Spurs could not hold off the Rockets.

#2 Clint Capela's monster double-double performance

Clint Capela had a monster night with a double-double

Stat line: 21 points, 23 rebounds, 2 assists and a block on 72.7 % shooting

Clint Capela is having arguably the best season of his career and is averaging career-high numbers in all the five statistical categories. The 24-year-old signed a 5-year, $90 million contract in the offseason with the Rockets.

Capela has been dominating the opponents in the paint as he continues to thrive in Houston. After a rare off-night where he only scored 6 points, Capela was once again back to his usual self as he tallied 21 points and pulled down as many as 23 rebounds to put together a monster double-double. He also had 8 offensive rebounds and came up big for the Rockets.

The Center is currently averaging a double-double over the season with 17.1 points and 12.1 rebounds per game.

#1 James Harden's 39-point performance

James Harden had a great game against San Antonio Spurs

Stat line: 39 points, 4 rebounds, 10 assists and 2 steals on 36.8 % shooting

James Harden has been incredible this season and is averaging 32.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 8.4 assists per game. He is doing all he can to defend his MVP trophy and only time will tell whether he succeeds.

After a 35-point performance against the Miami Heat, Harden went off once again and dropped 39 points on 12-for-34 shooting, including 7-for-19 from three-point land. James started his offensive explosion with a step back three-pointer in the first quarter. He had 12 points in the first quarter and the Rockets jumped to a 28-26 lead.

In the second quarter, he struggled as he had only 6 points and the Spurs clinched it, 17-13. Thanks to Gerald Green's 12 points and Harden's 10 points, the Rockets took an 84-69 lead at the end of three quarters. Harden then had 11 points in the fourth and the Rockets successfully held on for a 108-101 win.