Harden powers Rockets to win in Dallas
James Harden scored a playoff career-high 42 points, Dwight Howard had his postseason best with 26 rebounds and the visiting Houston Rockets beat the Dallas Mavericks, 130-128, for a 3-0 lead in this Western Conference first-round series.
Harden, an MVP candidate, played a dominating role after deferring to Howard and role players in the first two wins, putting the Rockets on the verge of their first playoff series victory since Howard joined Harden two years ago.
The high-scoring game was Dallas’ first without effectively banished point guard Rajon Rondo, and Monta Ellis had a playoff career-high 34 points to match Dirk Nowitzki.
But Ellis missed a potential tying jumper just before the buzzer, leaving Dallas to face a fourth consecutive year without winning a postseason series since taking the franchise’s first championship. Game 4 is Sunday at Dallas. No team has rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win an NBA postseason series.
Harden set his playoff career high and hit 40 points with a three-point play on a layup after Dallas had cut an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to one.
After Harden fouled Nowitzki on a 3-point attempt and Nowitzki hit all the free throws, Harden hit a jumper over Tyson Chandler. The ball rattled off the rim, hit the backboard and dropped back in for a 129-126 lead with 12.7 seconds remaining.
he Mavericks had one more chance, trailing by two with 6.7 seconds left, but Ellis wasn’t close, missing to the right of the rim.
More concerned with the rim after Howard and Josh Smith combined for five dunks off alley-oop passes in a key run in Game 2, the Mavericks let Harden have his shots.
He found a rhythm and did most of his damage without his normal load of free throws, making 15 of 24 from the field.
Howard had 14 of Houston’s 23 rebounds in the first half and helped on the offensive end in the fourth quarter, getting seven of his 13 points.
Other game
Wizards 106, Raptors 99: John Wall produced 19 points and 15 assists, Paul Pierce hit two key late 3-pointers, and Washington closed in on a first-round playoff sweep by beating visiting Toronto. Six Wizards scored in double figures, including Marcin Gortat, who had 24 points. Pierce’s 18 points were highlighted by one 3 that capped a 10-2 run with 2 minutes left.