James Harden finishes with 40 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists against the Spurs.

Teams who longed to build a Big Three are now striving for a dynamic duo, hoping two premier players are good enough to win a championship when the belief used to be that it required a trio. Houston is putting James Harden and Russell Westbrook together in a backcourt of recent MVPs, and Kyrie Irving

James Harden and Russell Westbrook are thrilled to be reunited in Houston and can't wait to prove they will work just fine together. Westbrook joined the Rockets this summer in a stunning trade that sent the longtime face of the Oklahoma City Thunder to Houston in exchange for Chris Paul. The deal

Chris Chiozza has returned to the Wizards after a stint with the Rockets. In Houston, he went up against two future Hall of Fame guards.

D'Antoni wants to keep at least two of Harden, Westbrook, and Eric Gordon on the court at the same time.