James Harden paired 37 points with nine assists, while Ben McLemore and Austin Rivers added valuable double-digit production off the bench as the Houston Rockets cruised to a 123-112 victory over the New York Knicks on Monday at Toyota Center.
The Rockets have won eight of 10 by outflanking the opposition from the 3-point line, and they extended to a 25-point lead before cooling off when both benches cleared in the fourth period. Houston excelled offensively without guard Russell Westbrook, who was a late scratch (thumb).
Harden, Westbrook and P.J. Tucker all arrived just over an hour prior to tip-off after taking a private jet from Los Angeles following the memorial service for Lakers legend Kobe Bryant.
McLemore scored 17 points on 4-for-9 3-point shooting while Rivers chipped in 14 points, including nine in the third quarter. Eric Gordon, inserted into the starting lineup for Westbrook, scored 16 points over 28 minutes before departing in the second half with left knee soreness.
The Rockets have won eight consecutive games against the Knicks, who have followed a season-best four-game winning streak with four consecutive losses. Rookie RJ Barrett paced the Knicks with 21 points while Julius Randle added a double-double (17 points, 12 rebounds).
Dennis Smith Jr. tallied 15 points and a career-high seven steals for the Knicks.
Barrett provided the Knicks a measure of optimism with 14 first-quarter points, and his running layup with 3:20 left in the period capped a 15-2 run and spotted the Knicks a 27-24 advantage.
But McLemore closed the frame with a 3-pointer and added another following a Jeff Green 3 that opened the scoring in the second.
Houston quickly extended to a 44-33 lead, and when the Knicks clawed to within 53-49 midway through the period, Harden responded with 13 consecutive points as Houston reclaimed control.
Harden matched his season-high with 31 first-half points, doing so on just 16 shot attempts while converting 4 of 5 3-pointers.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
James Harden recorded his fifth 40-plus point scoring effort during the Houston Rockets' seven-game winning streak, posting 49 in a 125-105 victory over the host Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday.
Hamstrung by a roster depleted by injuries, Harden took a career-high 41 shot attempts. He finished 8 of 22 on 3-pointers and added five rebounds and six assists over 39 minutes.
A trio of guards provided Harden support offensively. Ben McLemore followed his 21-point performance Friday against Indiana with 20 points, including a pair of free throws with 1:29 left in the third quarter that gave the Rockets their first double-digit lead at 89-79.
Austin Rivers and Chris Clemons scored 19 points apiece for the Rockets, who also received a career-best 16 rebounds from center Isaiah Hartenstein. Houston shot 19 of 49 on 3-pointers.
The Timberwolves led by as many as 11 points in the first half but struggled to contain Harden. They also missed the production of their second-leading scorer, forward Andrew Wiggins, who missed his second consecutive game (personal reasons).
Karl-Anthony Towns paired 27 points with 15 rebounds to pace the Timberwolves, while Jake Layman scored 21 on 9-of-14 shooting. Robert Covington chipped in 17 points, while rookie Jarrett Culver added 13 points, all in the first half.
With the Rockets missing their second- (Russell Westbrook), third- (Clint Capela), fourth- (Danuel House Jr.) and fifth-leading scorers (Eric Gordon), Harden asserted himself offensively from the opening tip, hoisting 17 first-quarter shots to keep Houston afloat. Harden started the game 1 for 6 from the floor but went 6 of 11 down the stretch and tallied 18 points in the period, as the Rockets shot 6 of 12 from behind the arc and eked out a 31-30 advantage.
Clemons teamed with Harden to score all 13 points in a 13-3 Houston run that erased most of the Timberwolves' 21-10 lead. Clemons, an undrafted rookie out of Campbell, matched his career high of 16 points by the intermission.
With Harden producing 30 points by the break, that duo was able to offset Towns' 18 points and the combined 24 points from Culver and Layman to lead 64-62.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
James Harden scored 40-plus points for the fourth time in six games and the host Houston Rockets extended their winning streak to six games with a 111-102 victory over the Indiana Pacers Friday at Toyota Center.
Harden paired 44 points with 8 rebounds to carry the short-handed Rockets to victory.
With Houston trailing 88-86 midway through the fourth quarter, Harden scored 12 consecutive points to lift the Rockets to a double-digit lead. Harden also tallied five assists and four steals.
Houston played without Clint Capela (concussion), Eric Gordon (right knee surgery) and Danuel House Jr. (sore back).
When the Pacers began to aggressively trap Harden in the third quarter, Ben McLemore rendered aid, posting 10 of his season-high 21 points in the period.
Austin Rivers added 10 points off the Houston bench. Russell Westbrook had 17 points, eight boards and six assists despite shooting just 5 of 21 from the floor.
Domantas Sabonis (18 points, 13 rebounds) paced an equally short-handed Pacers squad.
Indiana, without Myles Turner and Jeremy Lamb, leaned on bench production with four reserves scoring in double figures: Doug McDermott (18 points), T.J. McConnell and T.J. Leaf (12 apiece), and Justin Holiday (10).
But the Pacers shot just 8 for 33 on 3-pointers while Houston finished 14 of 46 from deep. Harden and McLemore finished a combined 10-for-25 on 3s.
Indiana had its four-game winning streak snapped.
What was an impactful start for Indiana guard Malcolm Brogdon ended abruptly after he departed with a sore lower back after posting two points and four assists in nine minutes.
The Pacers utilized their ample depth and found production elsewhere, starting with Sabonis and continuing with McDermott (both scored 11 points prior to the halftime intermission) while extending to a 47-38 lead on a pair of TJ Warren free throws with five minutes remaining in the first half.
Seemingly out of nowhere, the Rockets reeled off a 16-0 blitz, keyed by eight points from Harden.
Westbrook and Rivers combined for six free throws during that run, one that enabled the Rockets to carry a 54-49 lead into the break.
Harden tallied 20 points in the opening half.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
