James Harden delivered 44 points and 10 rebounds and the host Houston Rockets survived unsightly 3-point shooting in their 108-98 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday.
The win allowed Houston to bounce back from an ugly loss at Golden State on Christmas.
Harden's floater with 6:51 left to play put Houston ahead to stay at 93-92, and his step-back 3-pointer with 42.9 seconds left stretched the lead to 107-98 and erased all doubt.
Russell Westbrook added 23 points, nine rebounds and seven assists prior to his ejection inside the final minute. Austin Rivers tallied 14 points off the bench on 4-for-9 shooting on 3-pointers. But Houston shot just 13 of 42 from deep, perimeter struggles that enabled Brooklyn to remain close.
Spencer Dinwiddie paced five Nets in double figures with 17 points while adding a game-high 11 assists. Taurean Prince and Jarrett Allen scored 16 apiece for the Nets, who shot 40.2 percent.
With all five starters watching from the bench, the Nets fashioned a spirited 14-0 run that bridged the final two periods.
Theo Pinson, who did not play in the first half, was the linchpin, scoring 11 points during a stretch that saw Brooklyn flip an 88-72 deficit into a 92-91 lead. The Rockets went nearly seven minutes without a field goal during that miserable offensive stretch.
But when they needed offense down the stretch, Harden was able to provide.
Harden and Westbrook combined for the opening 37 points for the Rockets, with Westbrook starting 5 of 6 from the floor before Harden tallied 17 consecutive points.
Houston stretched a two-point advantage to a 35-18 lead when Harden capped his individual run with a free throw at the 2:36 mark of the first quarter. It wasn't until Isaiah Hartenstein converted a layup with 1:34 left in the opening period that someone other than Harden or Westbrook scored for the Rockets.
Brooklyn was quick in erasing most of the Rockets' 22-point lead entering the second, taking full advantage once Harden sat.
Westbrook closed the first half 4 for 14 following his scorching start, and the Nets feasted on the Rockets' porous defense, shooting 13 of 27 in the second while posting 18 points in the paint. After producing 23 points in the first quarter, Harden did not score again until his finger roll with 1:12 remaining in the first half extended the lead to 61-52.
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James Harden drained nine 3-pointers while recording 47 points, six rebounds and seven assists to lead the Houston Rockets to a 139-125 victory over the host Phoenix Suns on Saturday night.
Russell Westbrook added 30 points and 10 assists as Houston defeated Phoenix for the 13th consecutive time. Clint Capela registered 14 points and 17 rebounds and Danuel House Jr. added 11 points for the Rockets.
Houston shot a blistering 58.6 percent from the field, including 19 of 41 from 3-point range. Harden hit 15 of 27 shots and was 9 of 19 from behind the arc.
Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 26 points for the Suns, who lost their sixth straight game and 14th in their past 18. Devin Booker added 19 points, nine assists and six rebounds, Elie Okobo tallied 17 points and Ty Jerome added 15 points.
Center Deandre Ayton (ankle) and point guard Ricky Rubio (illness) sat out for the Suns.
Harden had an opportunity for his 24th career 50-point outing but was pulled with 1:39 remaining.
Phoenix shot 51.6 percent from the field and was 8 of 28 from behind the arc. Aron Baynes scored 13 points while Dario Saric and Frank Kaminsky added 10 points apiece for the Suns, who had seven double-digit scorers.
Houston led by five at halftime and opened the lead to 87-75 on Westbrook's basket with 6:58 left in the third quarter.
Gary Clark buried a 3-pointer with 1.4 seconds left as the Rockets carried a 106-95 advantage into the final quarter.
The Suns trailed, 115-107, after Booker's three-point play with 9:37 left but Westbrook drained a jumper and House and Harden buried 3-pointers to push the margin to 16 with seven minutes remaining.
Harden drained a 3-pointer and converted a four-point play for Houston's next seven points to boost the advantage to 130-112 with 5:28 left.
Another Harden 3-pointer pushed the lead to 20 at 136-116 with 3:58 remaining and Houston cruised to the finish.
Harden scored 29 first-half points on 10-of-15 shooting as the Rockets held a 70-65 lead into the break.
He scored 18 on 6-of-7 shooting in the opening quarter but Houston led by just 36-35. The Rockets built a 14-point advantage during the second stanza before Phoenix trimmed it to 60-59 on a basket by Baynes with 2:37 remaining.
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James Harden delivered another exceptional scoring performance and the Houston Rockets swept a brief two-game swing against Eastern Conference opponents, cruising past the Orlando Magic 130-107 on Friday in Orlando.
Two nights after pairing 55 points with eight assists in Cleveland against the Cavaliers, Harden posted 54 points and seven assists to subdue the Magic, who've dropped three straight games.
Harden drilled a franchise record 10 3-pointers to lead Houston past the Cavaliers. He finished 10-for-15 from behind the arc against Orlando en route to his fifth 50-point game of the season.
Spectacular throughout, Harden produced one sequence that served as a microcosm of his night.
With the third quarter winding down, Harden blocked a shot attempt by Magic guard Michael Carter-Williams, snagged the rebound and darted up court before hitting a floater that beat the buzzer and extended the Houston lead to 96-78 entering the fourth quarter.
Harden had 38 points entering the final period, in which he posted 16 points to lead the charge.
Russell Westbrook chipped in 23 points, seven rebounds and six assists while Ben McLemore shot 6 of 7 on 3s for 18 points off the bench. P.J. Tucker (12 points, 11 rebounds) and Clint Capela (10 points, 11 rebounds) posted double-doubles for Houston, which hit 22 of 39 3s.
Orlando's Evan Fournier scored 20 of his 27 points in the first half, including 14 in the second quarter off four 3s. Aaron Gordon had 21 points and six rebounds while Terrence Ross added 13 points.
Harden and Fournier engaged in an entertaining scoring duel in the second quarter, with Harden scoring 18 points in that period to provide Houston a working margin entering the intermission.
Both teams shot exceptionally from deep prior to the break, with the Rockets connecting on 11 of 19 3s while Orlando went 9 of 21 from long range. But with Jonathan Isaac saddled with three fouls by the 7:04 mark of the second period, the defensive-minded Magic were left prone.
Harden punished Orlando repeatedly both inside and out, and after opting not to double team Harden in the first half, the Magic sheepishly attempted to do so to no avail in the second half.
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James Harden and Russell Westbrook combined 64 points as the Houston Rockets won the battle of the backcourts with their 132-108 victory over the visiting Portland Trail Blazers on Monday at Toyota Center.
While Harden did the heavy lifting prior to the halftime intermission, scoring 23 of his 36 points on 6-of-12 shooting, Westbrook came alive in the second half with 15 of his 28 points, adding 13 rebounds and 10 assists overall as Houston extended its winning streak to eight consecutive games.
The Rockets were bolstered by the return of center Clint Capela and forward Danuel House Jr. Capela, sidelined two games after suffering a concussion in the fourth quarter last Wednesday against the Los Angeles Clippers, dominated the paint with 22 points, 20 rebounds and four blocks. House, out three games with a sore back, went 3-for-6 from 3-point range and scored 11 points.
Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, the Trail Blazers' high-scoring guard tandem, totaled 38 points on 14-of-34 shooting, with Lillard missing 11 of his 15 shots while shooting 1 of 6 on 3-pointers. Lillard did add 11 assists but Portland failed to keep pace when the Rockets seized control down the stretch of the first half.
The Trail Blazers have dropped seven of their last nine games.
It was Harden who provided the Rockets an advantage they would not relinquish, sandwiching two 3s around a driving layup to help Houston build a 54-44 lead with 4:06 left in the half. Harden added his second four-point play of the half with 73 seconds remaining as the Rockets carried a 64-50 lead into the break.
Westbrook attacked the rim with fervor in the third quarter to keep the Rockets rolling along, scoring nine points in the period as Houston methodically pulled away.
P.J. Tucker chipped in 13 points for the Rockets, who made 17 of 45 3s and posted a plus-14 rebounding margin (58-44) over Portland. Three reserves scored in double figures for the Trail Blazers, with Skal Labissiere pairing 15 points with six rebounds while Kent Bazemore added 11 points and five assists and Anfernee Simons scored 10. Starters Nassir Little and Hassan Whiteside scored 11 apiece for Portland.
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James Harden scored 42 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished nine assists, and the visiting Houston Rockets pulled away for a 117-94 win over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night.
Russell Westbrook added 26 points on 10-for-20 shooting for Houston, which won its third game in a row. Danuel House Jr. recorded a game-high six steals to go along with 11 points, and Clint Capela finished with 16 points and 20 rebounds.
Wendell Carter Jr. had was among four players with 13 points to lead the Bulls. He also had 16 rebounds. Chandler Hutchison scored 13 in his first start of the season in place of Otto Porter Jr., who has a sprained left foot.
Lauri Markkanen and Thaddeus Young also added 13 points each.
The Rockets outscored the Bulls, 36-18, in the third quarter to turn a one-point edge into a lopsided lead.
Chicago followed a victory with a loss for the third time this season. The Bulls have yet to win back-to-back games.
Houston opened the third quarter on a 12-2 run to set the tone for the rest of the way. Westbrook started the outburst with a jump shot and a free throw, and Harden added to the run by making a pair of free throws and a 3-pointer. Capela contributed a layup before Westbrook made another basket on an assist by House.
By the start of the fourth quarter, the Rockets led by 18. The lead ballooned past 20 points when Harden made a 3-pointer with 6:58 remaining.
Houston held on to a 50-49 lead at the half. The Rockets led by six points with 1:25 to go before intermission, but the Bulls closed the gap, thanks to five straight points from Zach LaVine on a slam dunk and a 3-pointer.
Chicago led by as many as nine early in the second quarter after a dunk by Young. Houston answered with a 24-7 run to pull ahead, 46-38, with 4:14 left in the first half.
The Bulls built a 27-20 advantage at the end of the first quarter.
Houston improved to 3-2 on the road this season. Chicago dropped to 1-3 on its home court.
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James Harden scored 44 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and led the Houston Rockets to a 107-100 victory over the host Memphis Grizzlies on Monday.
Harden was the foundation of a bounce-back effort for the Rockets, whose defense was torched for an average of 126 points in back-to-back losses at Brooklyn and Miami over the weekend.
Houston, playing without Russell Westbrook (rest) for the first time this season, leaned heavily on Harden, who added six assists.
Memphis hung tough without second-year forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (right knee), as the Rockets and Grizzlies alternated the lead seven times with 15 ties. But Memphis blew a golden opportunity early in the third quarter.
The Grizzlies held the Rockets to just one field goal over the opening four-plus minutes, but they led by only four points, 68-64, and then Houston's Eric Gordon sank a 3-pointer at the 7:19 mark to cut the deficit to one point.
Harden and Ben McLemore later combined for all of the points in an 11-0 run that carried Houston to its first double-digit lead at 81-70.
Gordon finished with 16 points, while Danuel House Jr. added 15 for Houston.
Rookie guard Ja Morant paced the Grizzlies with 23 points. Dillon Brooks chipped in 17 points and nine boards.
The first half featured spurts by each team that kept either one from wrangling control.
Houston turned an extended 20-9 push into a 31-23 lead on Austin Rivers' 3-pointer with 1:11 remaining in the first quarter, one of six treys for the Rockets in the opening period.
Harden's fingerprints were over the frame, posting 12 points, six rebounds and three assists to offset a hot start by Morant, who paced Memphis with nine points on 4-for-6 shooting in the first quarter.
Memphis responded with a 10-2 run in the second, with Tyus Jones scoring six points, including the basket that extended the Grizzlies' lead to 50-44 and prompted a Houston timeout with 4:38 left in the first half.
Harden fashioned a reply, scoring nine of the Rockets' 18 points down the stretch of the second quarter while also adding an assist. Harden had 25 points at the break, matching the Grizzlies' total from their bench, as the Rockets led 62-60 at the half.
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James Harden scored a game-high 40 points while Russell Westbrook finished an assist shy of his second consecutive triple-double, but it was the two-way prowess of PJ Tucker that led the Houston Rockets to a 116-112 win over the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday.
Tucker had 17 points and nine rebounds, and he regularly assumed the challenge of defending opponents big and small.
His corner 3-pointer with 54.8 seconds left provided the Rockets the six-point cushion they needed to survive late treys from Danilo Gallinari, Chris Paul and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Harden sealed the victory via his precision at the free-throw line, going 6-for-6 in the last two minutes.
Westbrook finished with 21 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists while Harden added seven assists. Harden made 21 of 22 foul shots. Tucker was 5 of 7 on 3-point attempts.
Clint Capela contributed 15 points for Houston.
Dennis Schroder and Gilgeous-Alexander scored 22 apiece for the Thunder while Gallinari added 17. Paul posted 15 points in his return to Houston, and Nerlens Noel also scored 15.
Houston erased a 10-point halftime deficit by picking up the pace in the third quarter, frequently attacking early in the shot clock to favorable results.
A 12-0 run gave the Rockets a 69-66 lead, with that rally capped by a Harden to Westbrook baseline alley-oop. The Rockets shot 5 of 9 from 3-point range in the period, and throughout the period, the Thunder struggled to maintain the tempo.
By outscoring Oklahoma City 39-18 in the third, the Rockets took a 91-80 edge into the fourth.
The Thunder flashed ample energy early even though they were playing on the second night of a back-to-back, racing to a 15-point lead by converting both in transition.
The Rockets were sluggish defensively, and it wasn't until the second quarter that they found some juice. Still, despite the inroads made by Harden and Capela offensively, the Rockets had no answer for Schroder on defense, as Schroder posted 18 first-half points on 6-of-8 shooting.
Houston shot just 4 of 25 on 3-point attempts prior to the break and trailed 62-52 at halftime. However, the Rockets did race to 10 fastbreak points, setting a tone for their aggression in the third period.
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Russell Westbrook surpassed Magic Johnson in career triple-doubles, and the host Houston Rockets held on for a 126-123 win over the short-handed New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday.
Westbrook notched 28 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists for his 139th triple-double, moving past Johnson for second place in NBA history. His two free throws with 6.1 seconds left built the lead to three.
The Rockets then clamped down defensively and forced a difficult shot from Josh Hart, who missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer. Hart scored 16 of his 23 points in the second half.
Brandon Ingram was exceptional for the Pelicans, who played without guard Jrue Holiday (knee). Ingram paired 35 points with 15 rebounds, both game-highs, and added five assists.
He received support from Lonzo Ball (18 points, 10 assists) and JJ Redick (14 points). The Pelicans hit 18 of 50 3-point attempts.
The Rockets trailed by as many as eight points late in the third quarter before stabilizing themselves, committing just two turnovers in the fourth quarter after allowing 23 points on 17 turnovers before that point.
Westbrook was the linchpin of the run to the lead, fueling a critical 13-0 spree from the final minute of the third through the first two minutes of the fourth.
James Harden scored 29 points for the Rockets but shot just 8 of 29, including 2 of 18 from 3-point range, and had eight turnovers. PJ Tucker added 16 points, while Clint Capela and Danuel House scored 15 apiece for the Rockets.
Ingram announced himself as capable of shouldering a larger load for the short-handed Pelicans, and he did so early, scoring nine first-quarter points to help steady a shaky ship.
New Orleans committed eight turnovers in the opening period to help spur a Rockets offense already clicking with superb ball distribution. Houston assisted on nine of its 12 field goals in the first and led by as many as 10.
While the Rockets missed all eight of their 3-point attempts in the second quarter, the Pelicans fashioned a comeback. Ball started drilling perimeter jumpers, and by the intermission, he'd posted 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting, 3 for 5 from behind the arc.
Ingram had 18 points in the half, as the Pelicans nailed 10 3s in the second and pulled even at 61-61 by the break.
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Russell Westbrook warms up a few moments before his new team, the Houston Rockets, face the Toronto Raptors in a preseason game in Saitama, Japan on Tuesday. Several Houston Rockets sponsors and partners in China said they would stop broadcasting its games after the team’s general manager Daryl Morey posted a since-deleted tweet supporting Hong Kong protesters. China Central Television, the state broadcaster, has gone a step further and said it would stop broadcasting all NBA preseason games after NBA commissioner Adam Silver defended Morey’s freedom of expression.
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James Harden and LeBron James became the latest NBA superstars to express interest in playing for the United States in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
"I would love to. I have to," James said Friday at the Los Angeles Lakers media day. "I want to stay healthy as well. That's most important."
In Houston, Rockets guard Harden said he wants in, and his teammate, Russell Westbrook, said he'd like to be considered.
"That's one of my goals to represent the USA and represent this beautiful country in the games," Harden said at the Rockets media day.
Playing without the NBA's best, Team USA finished a disappointing seventh place in the FIBA World Cup earlier this month. One by one, NBA stars dropped off the team, many citing the rigors of a long NBA season.
James, who will be 35 next summer, said the United States needs a turnaround.
"I was not happy about how we did this summer," he said.
James has two Olympic gold medals (2008, 2012) and one bronze (2004). Harden and Westbrook were part of the 2012 team.
Golden State's Klay Thompson, who won a gold medal in the 2016 Olympics, and Stephen Curry have said they want to be on the Olympic team, as has Portland's Damian Lillard. Neither Curry nor Lillard have played in the Olympics.
Harden and Lillard were among the players who dropped out of the competition for a World Cup roster spot.
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Russell Westbrook said he is ready to work with guard James Harden to bring a championship to Houston.
Meeting the Texas media for the first time since the Oklahoma City Thunder traded him to the Rockets two weeks ago, Westbrook talked about starting his career fresh with an old pal.
"We've been friends for many, many years," Westbrook, 30, said of Harden. "Since I was 10, actually. So we've played with each other in Oklahoma City, and to be able to win something, you've got to be willing to sacrifice some parts of your game and we both understand that."
The two played together, along with Kevin Durant, in Oklahoma City for three seasons. Harden was traded to the Rockets before the 2012-13 season after being named the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year.
"We both understand that we have one common goal and that's to win a championship. We understand what we have to do. I'm not worried about it and I know James isn't worried about it. I can play off the ball; I don't have to touch the ball to impact the game. That's the best way for me to come in and impact this team. I can do other things on the floor to make sure we have a better chance to win."
Westbrook, the 2016-17 league MVP and an eight-time All-Star, said he has no doubts he'll make a successful transition from Oklahoma City, where he spent 11 seasons.
"I'll fit right in, personally," Westbrook said. "Floor spread, it gives me the opportunity to attack, penetrate, kick. Defensively, it'll give me an opportunity to switch and guard and rebound at a high level. Push the break, get us out on the break. A lot of different things."
Still, he said he'll miss Oklahoma City, the only NBA home he's known.
"It's tough. It's something that will stay with me the rest of my life. Because I basically grew up there, in Oklahoma City," Westbrook said. "Eighteen years old in Oklahoma City and the people, the organization, never done me wrong. They always stood up for me and my family -- always had my back -- and I'm very, very grateful and I don't take that for granted."
Westbrook played in 821 career games (804 starts) with the Thunder, averaging 23 points, 8.4 assists and 7 rebounds per game. He averaged a triple-double in each of the past three seasons.
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Paul George scored 30 points and Russell Westbrook sealed his third consecutive season averaging a triple-double as the host Oklahoma City Thunder posted a 123-110 win over the Detroit Pistons on Friday.
The game was critical to both teams' playoff positioning, and it was the Thunder who came out ahead, winning for the second consecutive game and the fourth time in seven games.
The Thunder (46-33) remain in seventh place in the Western Conference, a half-game ahead of the San Antonio Spurs, who also won Friday.
The Pistons (39-40) lost for the third consecutive game and for the sixth time in their past eight. Detroit fell into a tie for seventh in the Eastern Conference with the Brooklyn Nets, just a game ahead of the ninth-place Miami Heat.
George was 4 of 7 from behind the 3-point arc.
Westbrook finished with 19 points, eight rebounds and 15 assists a game after recording the second-ever 20-20-20 game in league history. Jerami Grant also scored 19 for Oklahoma City.
The Thunder won despite a monster game from Blake Griffin, who had missed the previous three contests due to knee soreness.
Griffin finished with 45 points, making a career-high nine 3-pointers in his home state. He was 9 of 14 from behind the 3-point arc.
Griffin scored 31 of his points in the first half.
It took just four Thunder possessions for Westbrook to pick up three assists and seal his triple-double season average. Westbrook is the only player to accomplish the feat in back-to-back seasons.
Westbrook will also finish as the league's leader in assists for the third consecutive season.
In the second quarter, Westbrook was called for a flagrant foul on Zaza Pachulia after the Detroit center received a pass under the basket.
Westbrook swatted hard and connected with Pachulia's head as the latter went up for a shot. Pachulia remained on the ground for several moments.
It was not the first run-in between the two.
Last season when Pachulia was a member of the Golden State Warriors, Westbrook accused Pachulia of deliberately trying to hurt him after Pachulia fell on top of Westbrook.
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Paul George scored 45 points, including a floater with less than a second left in the second overtime, to lift the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 148-147 win over the visiting Utah Jazz on Friday night.
With Russell Westbrook having fouled out in the first overtime, George had to put the game on his shoulders and he came up big, grabbing a rebound off Joe Ingles' missed shot with 10 seconds left and keeping the ball until he drove into the lane before releasing the high floater that went cleanly through the net.
The win was the Thunder's 12th in 14 games while Utah lost for the second consecutive game.
Westbrook's NBA record streak of 11 consecutive triple-doubles came to an end officially in overtime when he was called for his sixth foul on a charge with 1:09 remaining. Westbrook finished with 43 points, 15 rebounds and 8 assists.
Though Westbrook fell short of another triple-double, he was 15 of 29 from the field and hit a season-high 6 3-pointers.
Donovan Mitchell led Utah with 38 points, going 14 of 35 from the field.
Utah led by 10 in the fourth quarter before the Thunder turned up the pressure defensively and used it to get back in the game.
Oklahoma City outscored Utah 11-0 off turnovers in the fourth quarter.
George tied it with a 3-pointer with 1:24 remaining and the teams traded baskets for the rest of regulation.
Ricky Rubio's 3-pointer gave the Jazz the lead again with 31.5 seconds remaining.
Without a timeout, the Thunder pushed the ball up the court as Westbrook dished to Jerami Grant underneath the basket for the layup as he was fouled.
Grant made the free throw to tie the score again, then blocked a shot at the other end to give Oklahoma City a chance to win in regulation but Westbrook's pull-up missed the mark and the game went to overtime.
Utah outrebounded Oklahoma City 60-43 with Rudy Gobert adding 26 points and 16 rebounds.
The win clinched the season series for the Thunder, who have won the first three meetings with the Jazz this season.
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Paul George had a 47-point triple-double, and Russell Westbrook set an NBA record for consecutive triple-doubles as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the visiting Portland Trail Blazers 120-111 on Monday night.
George's 3-pointer with 3:52 to play came on the 10th assist by Westbrook, who clinched his 10th consecutive triple-double. Westbrook finished with 21 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists.
Going into the game, Westbrook and Wilt Chamberlain were the only players in NBA history with nine consecutive triple-doubles. Chamberlain set the mark in 1968.
However, it was George who drew "MVP" chants as the game wound down, as he contributed 12 rebounds and 10 assists to go along with his point tally. George has scored 92 points over the last two games.
It was George's third career triple-double and his first since 2014. He capped off the triple-double in the final minute with a pass to Westbrook for a 3-pointer, the last of treys for Oklahoma City.
The win was the fourth consecutive and 11th in 12 games for the Thunder. It also clinched the season series for Oklahoma City, which is 3-0 with one meeting left.
The Trail Blazers took their third loss in four games.
Damian Lillard led Portland with 31 points, making 8 of 12 from the field in the second half as the Trail Blazers cut what was a 20-point deficit down to as little as five.
Oklahoma City was short-handed, playing without starting forward Jerami Grant and backup point guard Dennis Schroder. Grant missed the game after sustaining a right ankle sprain late in the Thunder's win at Houston on Saturday. Schroder missed the game due to a personal issue.
The players who took over the majority of the missing regulars' minutes had a big impact early.
Raymond Felton, playing in Schroder's role and appearing in a game for the first time since Dec. 30, scored 15 first-half points on 6-of-7 shooting. Felton had not scored more than 12 points all season. He missed all three of his second-half shots and did not score after the break.
Deonte Burton, a rookie getting added playing time off the bench with Grant out, scored a season-high 18 points. His previous best was 11 points, and he hadn't scored a point since Dec. 3.
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Paul George outgunned James Harden in a matchup of MVP candidates, and the Oklahoma City Thunder erased a 26-point deficit to escape with a 117-112 win over the host Houston Rockets on Saturday.
George finished with a game-high 45 points plus 11 rebounds, torching the Houston defense with six 3-pointers plus 15-for-18 free throws.
George's four free throws inside the final four seconds sealed the win after Russell Westbrook slipped through the defense to convert a layup and give the Thunder the lead for good at 113-112 with 26.9 seconds left.
Westbrook matched an NBA record set by Wilt Chamberlain with his ninth consecutive triple-double: 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists. The Thunder posted a 53-39 edge on the glass.
Harden totaled 42 points, his 29th consecutive game with at least 30, but he missed a contested 3-pointer after Westbrook pushed the Thunder ahead.
Chris Paul nearly posted a triple-double (18 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists) in his strongest performance since his return from a hamstring injury.
The Thunder matched the Rockets' 42-point second quarter with a 42-point third period, keyed by 7-for-12 3-point shooting. After committing just two turnovers in the first half, the Rockets had six in the third quarter and collapsed with 1-for-9 shooting from behind the arc.
Still, the Rockets led 86-79 before Thunder guard Dennis Schroder closed the frame with 11 consecutive points to pull Oklahoma City even at 90-all entering the fourth. Less than three minutes into the final frame, the Thunder led 98-92, and the Rockets were left scrambling.
Two runs sparked the Rockets' run to their 26-point lead in the first half.
Westbrook pulled the Thunder even with a midrange bank shot at the 1:47 mark of the first quarter before Houston bridged the opening two frames with an 11-0 burst that featured treys from Iman Shumpert, making his Rockets debut, Gerald Green, and Austin Rivers.
When Paul capped that rally with a midrange jumper, the Rockets led 36-25, and Oklahoma City struggled to build momentum against its lackadaisical ball security and the Rockets' perimeter shooting.
Houston had pushed its lead to 58-42 despite a mini-surge from Westbrook before landing what appeared to be a devastating blow: a 10-0 run that included 3-pointers from Paul and Harden plus three Harden free throws after Paul converted a technical assessed against George for protesting a call.
The Rockets were 12 of 24 from deep late in the first half before missing five consecutive 3-pointers, leave the door ajar for a comeback.
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Paul George scored 27 points, and Russell Westbrook recorded his eighth consecutive triple-double as the host Oklahoma City Thunder overwhelmed the Memphis Grizzlies in the second half en route to a 117-95 win.
The win was the Thunder's ninth in 10 games and their fifth consecutive at home.
Memphis, playing with a short bench, had its two-game winning streak snapped.
Westbrook had 15 points, 15 assists and 13 rebounds to keep the triple-double streak alive. He clinched the triple-double with 4:30 remaining in the third quarter when he made a put-back shot.
He became just the second player in NBA history with eight consecutive triple-doubles. Wilt Chamberlain holds the NBA record with nine consecutive triple-doubles in 1968.
Memphis had just nine players dressed for the game after trading four players earlier in the day, including longtime standout Marc Gasol, who had played all of his 11 NBA seasons in Memphis before being dealt to the Toronto Raptors.
The Grizzlies also had entertained trade talks concerning Mike Conley, another Memphis staple, but Conley stayed put through the trade deadline. Conley struggled against the Thunder, though, scoring 15 points but making just 4 of 15 shots from the floor.
Jaren Jackson Jr. led the Grizzlies with 27 points.
Memphis had success early, building a nine-point lead early in the second quarter thanks to a zone defense that forced Oklahoma City to rely heavily on the outside shot.
The Thunder hit enough 3-pointers to stay in the game, briefly possessing their own nine-point lead in the second quarter before the Grizzlies took a two-point lead into the break.
Of Oklahoma City's 40 first-half shots, 28 came from behind the 3-point arc. The Thunder finished 17 of 44 on 3-point attempts, with George going 6 of 13.
The Thunder quickly took control in the third quarter, outscoring Memphis 32-19 in the period to start to put the game away.
A big part of that was the Thunder's ability to score on the inside. After struggling in the paint in the first half -- thanks in part to center Steven Adams being limited to six minutes with foul trouble -- Oklahoma City got to the rim regularly after the break.
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Paul George scored 39 points, and Russell Westbrook's triple-double streak continued as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Orlando Magic 132-122 at home Tuesday night.
The Thunder took control of the game with a 36-point third quarter, then held on late to win for the eighth time in the last nine games.
Orlando's two-game winning streak was snapped, and the Magic have lost eight of their last 11 games.
Orlando led by 12 early in the third quarter, but from there the Thunder outscored the Magic 31-13 over the final nine minutes of the quarter and led 111-97 three minutes into the fourth.
The Magic didn't go away quietly, though, cutting the lead to as little as five with less than five minutes remaining, but couldn't get any closer.
Westbrook finished with 16 points, 15 rebounds and 16 assists, clinching his seventh consecutive triple-double by the end of the third quarter.
It's the third such streak in Westbrook's career. Only Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan have had at least seven consecutive triple-doubles.
Robertson holds the NBA record with nine consecutive triple-doubles.
It was the sixth time in the last seven games that George has scored 36 or more points. Oklahoma City had seven players score in double figures for the second time this season.
Backup point guard Dennis Schroder had 20 points while Jerami Grant had 19 points and 11 rebounds.
The Thunder shot 50 percent (46 of 92) from the floor and hit 13 3-pointers, including six from George.
Terrence Ross had 26 points off the bench to lead Orlando while Evan Fournier added 25. Aaron Gordon had 18 points and 10 assists.
Before the game, the Magic announced rookie center Mohamed Bamba would miss significant time with a stress fracture in his left tibia. Bamba will not undergo surgery as the team hopes he'll respond to rest, treatment and rehabilitation.
Bamba did not travel with the team to Oklahoma City and missed his second consecutive game. He's averaging 6.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.36 blocks, fourth in the NBA among rookies.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
Paul George scored a game-high 43 points, Russell Westbrook posted his 18th triple-double, and the Oklahoma City Thunder continued their offensive surge in a 118-102 rout of host Miami Heat on Friday.
George (26 points) and reserve guard Dennis Schroder (24) combined for 50 in the first two quarters as the Heat allowed their second-most points in a half, narrowly outscoring the sharp-shooting duo by just three.
George connected on a career-high 10 3-pointers, and Schroder scored 28 in 29 minutes off the bench for the Thunder, who won their seventh consecutive overall and sixth straight against Miami.
Westbrook notched 14 points, 14 assists and 12 rebounds in his fifth triple-double in a row, and Steven Adams had 13 points.
Miami's Kelly Olynyk tallied 21 points and Josh Richardson had 18. Hassan Whiteside had 12 points and 16 rebounds for the Heat, who lost their second straight overall and have dropped four of the last six.
Oklahoma City averaged a franchise-record 120.6 points per game in January and the offensive juggernaut was on full display from the opening tip in the first meeting between the two teams.
In a fast-paced first quarter, the Thunder raced out on a 12-2 run less than five minutes into the game behind the versatile scoring of George and Adams as the club led 18-11.
The Thunder led 31-24 behind 16 points from George as the six-time All-Star made 6 of 8 field goals, including 3-for-3 from beyond the arc.
Schroder came off the bench to replace Westbrook in the second quarter and immediately became as big of a nuisance to the Heat as George. The backup scored seven points as the Thunder built a 17-point lead by scoring 12 unanswered points early in the quarter.
Schroder followed up George's 16-point first quarter with 24 of his own in the second -- his career high for any single period -- as Oklahoma City shot 58.3 percent from the floor, led by as many as 23 and held a 72-53 halftime edge.
Miami cut the deficit to 15 early in the second half after a layup by Whiteside, but Patrick Patterson's 3-pointer gave the Thunder a 94-74 lead after three, and they cruised in the final quarter with reserves on the floor.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
Russell Westbrook scored 23 points and recorded his second consecutive triple-double as the host Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 122-116 on Thursday night.
Westbrook added 17 rebounds and 16 assists, sealing his league-leading 15th triple-double of the season less than two minutes into the second half. The Thunder are now 6-0 all-time when Westbrook has at least 15 points, rebounds and assists.
On Tuesday, Westbrook recorded 29 points, 14 assists and 10 boards against the Portland Trail Blazers.
The win was the Thunder's fourth in a row. The Pelicans have lost four of five.
Oklahoma City took the lead for good midway through the second quarter and then steadily built their edge through the next quarter and a half before New Orleans made its run.
By the time 3:13 had passed in the second half, the Thunder were on top by 22. But then the Pelicans started chipping away, repeatedly cutting the deficit to seven in the fourth quarter.
New Orleans trimmed the margin to five with 2:10 remaining on a Jrue Holiday 3-pointer, but the Thunder immediately answered with a Paul George 3-pointer.
George, who earlier in the day was named an All-Star starter for the third time in his career, finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. Steven Adams added 20 points and 13 rebounds as the Thunder outrebounded New Orleans by 16.
George shot 6 of 10 from behind the 3-point arc, helping Oklahoma City hit 14 of 32 3-point attempts.
Holliday led the Pelicans with 22 points while Darius Miller added 21. Holliday also had 13 assists and nine rebounds.
Oklahoma City, who has scored 116 or more points in 10 consecutive games, finished with 33 assists, one off its season-high.
New Orleans was not only without Anthony Davis, who missed his third consecutive game with a finger injury, but three other regular rotation players.
Nikola Mirotic, who sustained a calf strain late in the Pelicans' Wednesday loss to Detroit, will miss at least a week. Julius Randle sat out the game with a right ankle sprain, and E'Twaun Moore missed the game for rest.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
Russell Westbrook recorded 40 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 118-102 victory over the host Phoenix Suns on Friday night.
Dennis Schroder scored 14 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter as the Thunder prevailed without star forward Paul George (quadriceps). It marked the first game George has missed this season.
Abdel Nader scored a career-best 18 points off the bench for Oklahoma City, which halted a two-game slide. Steven Adams registered 12 points and 13 rebounds, and Jerami Grant had 12 points and eight rebounds.
Devin Booker contributed 25 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds for the Suns, who had won five of their previous seven games.
T.J. Warren scored 19 points, Deandre Ayton had 16 points and nine rebounds, and Mikal Bridges scored 13 points as Phoenix fell in the opener of a seven-game homestand.
Oklahoma City made 15 of 19 field-goal attempts in the fourth quarter to finish at 53.7 percent. The Thunder were 7 of 20 from 3-point range.
The Suns shot 43.3 percent from the field and hit 9 of 29 from behind the arc.
The Thunder dominated the fourth quarter by a 37-18 margin to turn a three-point deficit into a 16-point win.
Schroder opened the final stanza with consecutive baskets to give Oklahoma City an 85-84 lead. He added two 3-pointers and two free throws over the ensuing three-plus minutes to boost the Thunder's margin to nine.
Westbrook drained a 3-pointer to give Oklahoma City a 102-88 lead with 6:09 left. Westbrook later converted back-to-back baskets, and Schroder followed with a layup to push the margin to 112-95 with 3:45 remaining before the Thunder cruised to the finish.
Westbrook was hunting for shots in the opening quarter as he connected on 7 of 8 while scoring 15 points. The Thunder shot 64 percent from the field and led 36-29 after 12 minutes.
Oklahoma City led by eight two minutes into the second quarter before Phoenix went on a 16-4 run. Bridges capped the burst with a jumper to give the Suns a 51-47 edge with 5:22 left.
The Thunder took a 58-57 advantage into the break.
Warren knocked down a 3-pointer to give the Suns an 82-77 lead with 2:03 left in the third quarter before Phoenix took an 84-81 edge into the final stanza.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
