NBA Opener

Rockets open with thrilling win over Golden State, but Harden-Paul pairing is a work in progress

Chris Paul, James Harden Houston Rockets

Off the court, James Harden and Chris Paul have been great. They still have work to do on it.

Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

The Houston Rockets upset the Golden State Warriors 122-121 in a thrilling shootout to kick off the regular season Tuesday night in Oakland. Free agent signings Luc Mbah a Moute and P.J. Tucker provided a great spark off the bench with 14 and 20 points respectively, to complement reigning sixth man of the year Eric Gordon and his 24-point effort. It was a great win, and more importantly it was at least the beginning of the answer to the biggest question surrounding the Rockets all offseason:

How will Chris Paul and James Harden look on the floor together?

Well, the short answer is – at the moment – not great. Not terrible, but not great. Paul and Harden seemed to stick to what they know best, which is a lot of iso ball. If one had the ball, the other seemed to sit off in the corner and let them do their thing. Paul went 2-9 from the field (0-4 from 3-point range) for 4 points to go with 11 assists and 8 rebounds, but left the game near the end of the fourth quarter with knee soreness. Harden, meanwhile, dazzled in his debut, turning in a 27 point, 6 rebound, and 10 assist effort.

They ended the game with a combined 21 assists, but the growing pains were fairly evident. Paul found himself in rather unfamiliar territory by playing off ball the majority of the time the two shared the court.

At the moment it’s very obvious that Paul realizes that this is Harden’s team and seemed fine acquiescing the ball handling duties for the time being while he adjusts. Paul was eventually pulled out of the lineup in favor of Gordon near the end of the fourth quarter because of the knee, and when questioned by reporters in the locker room about the benching showed zero frustration. That was a good sign, because it shows that he realizes how talented the Rockets’ lineup is.

At the moment it’s simply too early to grade the Harden/Paul experiment, especially with Paul playing hurt. Injuries are going to be part of the norm with Paul, as they have been throughout his career, but when he’s healthy, he’s still one of the most dangerous point guards in the league.

I personally don’t expect there to be much of an issue. Harden and Paul are far too talented and basketball smart to not make this work.

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This story originally appeared on SportsMap.

sports

fight night

Boxing promoter will build dedicated arena in north Houston

Photo courtesy of PlaceNEW Studios.

Red Owl Boxing currently rents a venue at 12539 Perry for events, but will soon have their own arena.

For the first time in decades, Houston will have a dedicated arena for live boxing. Red Owl Boxing recently announced that it will be open the Owl's Nest in 2027.

“Houston is a phenomenal city for boxing, and an arena of our own allows us to deliver consistency at the highest level in terms of fan experience, fighter experience, and in-house operations,” said Gabriel Fanous, Red Owl Boxing executive chairman, in a statement.

Previously, Red Owl hosted 17 live boxing shows between 2021 and 2025 at a rented venue on Perry Road. This new one, to be located at 2929 FM 1960, will feature several improvements, including a mezzanine level with luxury suites, a green room for content creation, expanded truck bay for television vans, entrance ramps for more dynamic fighter introductions, and a proper box office and concession stand. Its total space will be 25,000 square feet, and it will host 21 live boxing events in between 2027 and the end of 2028.

The new venue also comes with a new face at the top of the promotion. Veteran combat sports and media attorney Greg Bloom has been appointed CEO of Red Owl. Previously, Bloom was CEO at at Bareknuckle Boxing (BKB), where he oversaw a massive expansion promoting fights across the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East as well as bringing BKB to several new television markets.

“I am excited and grateful for the opportunity to help lead Red Owl Boxing into its next chapter," said Bloom. "Gabriel Fanous’s forward-thinking business model exemplifies the authentic passion that the company has for the great sport of boxing."

“In Greg Bloom, I have a process-focused leader with ample experience in building combat sports media companies,” said Fanous. “I don’t hire people and tell them what to do. I hire smart people so they can advise me on what to do.”

Red Owl's next live event will be Friday, May 28 at the Archer Music Hall in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Undefeated super featherweight Deonte “Lay ‘Em Down” Brown will take on Yohan Vasquez. The match will be screened lived on DZAN.

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