James Harden told coach Mike D'Antoni that he was "trippin '" after the coach said he expected Harden to double his assist numbers with his transition to point guard. After a 17 - assist debut and another eight Friday night against the Mavericks, the feat seems much more achievable than even he imagined. For the Rockets, D'Antoni's run - and - gun offensive approach has quickly translated to the box score. The Rockets combined for 15 three - pointers and dished 21 assists, with 14 assists coming from their backcourt duo. For Dallas, meanwhile, the absence of Dirk Nowitzki opened up even more opportunity for the newly - acquired Harrison Barnes to lead the offense. Barnes stepped up to the challenge, scoring a game - high 31 points. Barnes was impressively efficient, going 13 - for - 23 including 2 - for - 4 from beyond the arc. The increased output is likely a product of Barnes's increased role on the Mavericks versus the deeper Warriors squad he previously played with.
["PlayerStat(G,'James Harden') has 8 Assists ."
 "PlayerStat(G,'Harrison Barnes') has 4 Assists ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 23 3-pointers made ,has 13 Field goals attempted ,has 31 Field goals made ."]