ROCKETS ROLL

James Harden gave quite the jump-start with 22 of the team’s 50 points in the third quarter, as the visiting Rockets cruised past the Minnesota Timberwolves 119-100 to take a 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.

Chris Paul scored 15 of his 25 points in the near-record third for the Rockets, who turned a 50-49 halftime edge into a 31-point advantage after the torrid 12-minute