Brooklyn Nets 132-114 Houston Rockets: Twitter explodes as James Harden shines in homecoming game

Brooklyn Nets star James Harden made his return to the Toyota Center for the first time since the mid-January blockbuster trade. The Nets controlled the game, outscoring the Houston Rockets in each quarter on their way to a strong 18-point victory.

James Harden led the scoring effort for the Brooklyn Nets, clearly feeling comfortable in his old arena. He finished with 29 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds to give the Nets a big road victory.

Houston Rockets guard John Wall was the game's leading scorer, dropping 36 points on 40% shooting. The Rockets were simply unable to make stops on defense, dropping their 13th straight game and falling to 11-23 on the season.

James Harden receives warm welcome as Brooklyn Nets take road victory in Houston

James Harden recorded his 8th triple-double of the season on Wednesday

The Brooklyn Nets are now victorious in 10 of their last 11 games, jumping all the way to 2nd place in the Eastern Conference. Even with the absence of Kevin Durant, the Nets have gotten great production from Harden and Irving, along with strong bench performances.

The Houston Rockets gave a heartwarming welcome to James Harden, with fans also giving him a standing ovation upon his arrival. While his trade may have had some drama, the Houston fanbase is clearly very appreciative of Harden's performances for the team so far.

Here's how Twitter reacted to James Harden's homecoming:

Rockets give James Harden a touching tribute video 🙏What an amazing 8 years.(via @HoustonRockets)pic.twitter.com/24uM6oEeax

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 4, 2021

JAMES HARDEN TODAY:▫️29 PTS | 10 REB | 13 ASTS ▫️3 STL | 1 BLK▫️67/50/71 Splits 🔥 Top 3 in MVP Convo 🤷🏾‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/sSDFzctIbV

— 𝙃𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙞𝙚 𝙆𝘿 ➆ (@HoodieKD7) March 4, 2021

The Houston Rockets will retire James Harden’s number 13 🚀 pic.twitter.com/K2qEMbvUfj

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) March 2, 2021

Nets set a franchise record with their 7th straight road win. Brooklyn blasts the Rockets 132-114 in James Harden’s return to Houston. Harden: 29 pts, 13 asts, 10 reb8th triple double with Nets #BrooklynTogether pic.twitter.com/tpjEipi7Cm

— Ryan Field (@RyanFieldABC) March 4, 2021

Houston Rockets fans watching James Harden almost get a triple double in the first half pic.twitter.com/OZRklWnEtT

— Rich (@UptownDCRich) March 4, 2021

The former Houston Rockets star recorded his eighth triple-double of the year, proving to be a great addition for the Brooklyn Nets on a nightly basis.

James Harden increased his season average to 25.2 points, 11 assists and 7.7 rebounds per game.

Here are more reactions to the Brooklyn Nets' strong victory:

James Harden's done it againHe's now dropped 10+ assists on every NBA franchise 🔥 pic.twitter.com/vZp2C35Aiv

— arian (@arxanii) March 4, 2021

James Harden has only played in 23 games as a Net and he just recorded his 8th triple double for Brooklyn. The Beard is playing on another level.

— Ajayi Browne (@ajayibrowne) March 4, 2021

Rockets about to lose 13 games in a row against the Nets to honor James Harden Respect ✊🏽

— arian (@arxanii) March 3, 2021

death, taxes, triple doubles for James Harden. pic.twitter.com/0nQzdomSqw

— Nets Republic (@NetsRepublic) March 4, 2021

After the game James Harden spends a few minutes with his former team. pic.twitter.com/SEvHNbqsyi

— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) March 4, 2021

James Harden seems to be on good terms with the players and staff of the Houston Rockets, as tonight was all smiles and applause.

The Beard is putting up MVP-caliber numbers, and the Brooklyn Nets are looking like one of the most dangerous teams in basketball.

Here are more reactions from James Harden's return to Houston:

James Harden was in a much better mood as he walked off the floor inside Toyota Center than the last time he did 50 days ago pic.twitter.com/7DVXnaWEcX

— Adam Spolane (@AdamSpolane) March 4, 2021

John Wall and Victory Oladipo tried their very best to spoil James Harden's return. 🚀 pic.twitter.com/Cg22J76Dwa

— theScore (@theScore) March 4, 2021

"KD knows what's up" -James Harden on potentially getting drafted by KD in the ASG Draft pic.twitter.com/NHFUhLnTCF

— Talkin’ Nets (@TalkinNets) March 4, 2021

The night ended much the way it began for James Harden and that is with a lot of love from the city he called home for so many eyes. But in between, Harden showed the Rockets what they are missing as he dropped a classic triple-double with 29 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds.

— Terrance Harris (@TerranceHarris) March 4, 2021

James Harden says he had "mixed emotions" about coming back to Houston -- and thanked the Fertitta family for his eventual jersey retirement. As he walked off the court, Harden took off his shoes, signed them and threw them into the stands for fans to catch.

— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) March 4, 2021