Harden has 43, cinches third victory
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — If one looks closely enough, there are subtle differences between Sacramento, Calif. and Miami, Fla. Miami is hotter.
To the Rockets, they began looking eerily alike.
The Rockets led by 20 points Friday night in Sacramento. The week began with them taking a 19-point lead in Miami. The bulk of the lead rapidly slipped away with a sudden Sacramento flurry late in the third quarter. The Heat also mounted their comeback in the third quarter, putting them in position to steal the win in the fourth.
When the Kings closed to within two points, the Rockets saw frightening similarities.
But on Sunday, James Harden could not carry the Rockets through those rough spots.
On Friday, Harden dominated, driving the Rockets past the Kings 116-110, the Rockets’ third consecutive win since falling to 0-3 in Miami.
Harden led the Rockets with a season-high 43 points and 13 assists, adding six rebounds.
Every Rockets starter scored in double figures for the second straight game.
Center Clint Capela, starting with Dwight Howard out to take off the first half of a back-to-back, had his first career doubledouble, with a career-high 13 points and 12 rebounds. Trevor Ariza scored 14 of his 18 points in the second half.
In less than three minutes to end the third quarter and start the fourth, the Kings ran through a 16-0 run while the Rockets missed seven consecutive shots and turned the ball over four times.
Most of that, however, was with their starters on the bench. When they returned, Capela slammed home an offensive rebound and Harden drove the Rockets’ offense as he had through much of the night.
In the six minutes after Capela’s slam, Harden scored or set up all 19 Rockets points to forge a 12-point lead. The Rockets ended that run with Marcus Thornton and Ariza putting in consecutive corner 3s.
That gave the Rockets a season-high 14 3-pointers with four minutes still to play.
Leading by 20 points midway through the third quarter, the Rockets visibly eased up, though at first it did not hurt them. With two minutes remaining before the fourth quarter, they still led by 18.
The way the Rockets started, they seemed headed to either an early blowout or another one of those games in which they can’t keep their early sharp play going and revert to their first-week issues.
They led by 15 points in less than seven minutes. But as well as they were moving the ball to dunks and good shots, the start was greatly aided by the remarkable lack of resistance put up by the Kings, help that was not likely to last.
When Sacramento coach George Karl went to his bench, he got the energy his starters had not given him. So when the Rockets began missing shots and turning the ball over, the Kings took off the other way.
The Kings began getting into the paint, creating shots they could not miss, rallying back to erase the Rockets’ early lead and to go up 37-35 with 7½ minutes left in the half.
Harden started the Rockets’ run by repeatedly finding Capela cutting to the rim. He had assists on five of the Rockets’ first six field goals. But after Sacramento took the lead, Harden, who had his career-high 51 in his previous game against Sacramento, went to work the way he usually does against the Kings.
He had 15 of his 21 firsthalf points in the final 7:16 of the half, leading the Rockets to a 61-50 lead.
Having righted themselves before the half, the Rockets continued to roll on offense. When Ty Lawson put in consecutive 3-pointers, all five starters were in double figures and the Rockets led by 20 points midway through the third quarter.
The only test remaining was how long they could make their strong play last, the challenge that has befuddled them through the opening weeks of the season.
They did not conquer that issue. But this time, they recovered enough to hold on for the win.