Simmons leads 76ers past Rockets
HOUSTON » Ben Simmons had 24 points, nine assists and seven rebounds and Joel Embiid added 22 points to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 115-107 win over the Houston Rockets on Monday night.
After losing 105-104 on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Eric Gordon in Philadelphia on Oct. 18, the 76ers snapped an eight-game losing streak against the Rockets, winning in Houston for the first time since Feb. 16, 2011.
The Rockets missed nine of their last 10 shots, scoring just four points in the final 3:28 and dropped consecutive games for the first time this season.
James Harden scored 29 points and Gordon had 25.
Philadelphia led by as many as 14 points and entered the fourth quarter up 92-80. Houston’s reserves rallied without Harden to cut the lead to five early in the fourth.
Embiid, who played through a right hand contusion, gave Houston’s defense fits when he got the ball and was disruptive in the paint on the defensive end. Backup point guard T.J. McConnell frequently pressured Harden defensively for Philadelphia, adding 11 points and five assists off the bench.
Philadelphia controlled the first quarter by putting up a season-high for points in a quarter, leading Houston 3727 entering the second. The Rockets closed the gap in the second quarter, capped off by a fast-break dunk from Gordon following a steal off a bad pass from Simmons that cut Philadelphia’s lead to two points.
The 76ers led 58-56 at halftime.
The Rockets were able to overcome an off shooting night by overwhelming Philadelphia at the free-throw line where they made 28 of 38 attempts, compared to just 17 of 24 for the 76ers.
Former Rockets forward Robert Covington had four steals for the 76ers, adding five points and eight rebounds in 34 minutes.
TIP-INS
76ers: SG JJ Redick missed his third straight game with lower back tightness . ... PG Markelle Fultz (shoulder) missed his fourth straight game. Fultz is out indefinitely and will be reevaluated in three weeks, the 76ers said Sunday.
Rockets: Nene entered the game questionable with left Achilles soreness but played 10 minutes in the game, getting seven points, three rebounds and a block off the bench.