Houston ends Portland’s 13-game run

With game on line, Harden seals win with step-back 3s.

—TheRockets expected nothing less. James Harden could be spectacular. He could be unstoppable in a remarkable variety of ways. But when he closed out another win, they had seen that scene play out so many times before, it was as if they knew what was coming to the point the stunning was predictable. Harden slammed the door. As he had in New Orleans and Minneapolis to begin the road trip, Harden nailed another step-back 3 with the game on the line, this time adding another, to lift the Rockets past the Trail Blazers 115111, much as he had so many times before.

“We just expect it,” Chris Paul said. “I don’t know if I’ve ever had this sort of feeling. The coaching staff, everybody on the team, we all believe in one another. Even though everybody else, when it goes in, will be like, “Ohhhhh, it went in.’ We expect it to.”

As with the win in Minnesota, Harden was not alone down the stretch. Against the Timberwolves, Clint Capela came up with an offensive rebound and set up Trevor Ariza for a 3-pointer. Against the Blazers, P.J. Tucker grabbed the offensive board and passed to Harden, who set up Ariza for his 3 with 2:39 left that gave the Rockets an eightpoint lead. Moments later, Harden hit another step-back 3 for a nine-point lead, the largest of the game, with less than two minutes remaining, capping his dominant night and spectacular road trip.

“It’s what he does,” Tucker said. “Everybody does their job. He finishes the game strong like that. I hustle, get offensive rebounds, extra possessions, stops. Luc (Mbah a Moute). Trev. Everybody does their job. Clint (Capela). Everybody does what they do. That’s why this team is so consistent.”