Rockets Jettison Carmelo Anthony and Blast Off in Rout of In-Fighting Warriors

Before taking the floor for their game against the Warriors, the Rockets announced pregame they had parted ways with veteran forward Carmelo Anthony.

Getting rid of that extra baggage seemed to ignite Houston as they blasted off against the Golden State Warriors and routed the defending NBA champ’s 107-86 on national TV.

On the night, James Harden scored 27 points for the Rockets to lead the team and was supported by James Ennis III with 19 points and Eric Gordon with 17.

James Harden drops a game-high 27 PTS in the @HoustonRockets win over GSW! #Rockets pic.twitter.com/NHIwHhmHhw

— NBA (@NBA) November 16, 2018

Golden State got Draymond Green back from suspension following his altercation with teammate Kevin Durant but he failed to provide a spark for a lineup that was once again without the injured Steph Curry.

Green was held scoreless on the night and no Warriors starter hit a 3-pointer in the game, the first time that has happened to Golden State since March of 2013.

“We’re banged up a little bit physically and right now we’re banged up spiritually,” said Golden State coach Steve Kerr. “There’s no getting around that. So we’ve got to fill up our cup and get our spirit back, get our energy back, and we’re going to. It’s a long, long season. It’s a tough stretch we’re dealing with, but I know our guys.”

The Warriors may have reason to be concerned because Curry will remain sidelined for at least four more games. Also, Green did not sound overly interested in smoothing things over with Durant following their spat in a pregame interview.