Rockets top Thunder in OKC
Nene leads way for Houston with 28 points on 12 of 12 shooting
OKLAHOMA CITY — James Harden’s shot was off, and one of the most unlikely players on Houston’s roster came to the rescue.
Nene scored 28 points on perfect shooting from the field, and the Rockets beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 113-109 on Sunday to take a 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.
The 6-foot-11 center from Brazil made all 12 of his shots and had 10 rebounds. It was an impressive performance from a reserve who averaged about nine points per game in the regular season.
“He puts the work in,” Harden said. “He’s a true vet. He’s in the weight room. He’ doing all the proper things to get his body and his mind right to go out there and compete at a high level every single night. Tonight, it paid off.”
Harden finished with 16 points on 5-for-16 shooting, but he had other help, too. Eric Gordon and Lou Williams each scored 18 points, and Trevor Ariza finished with 14.
Houston can close out the series Tuesday at home.
“That’s what a team is for,” Harden said. “It’s not just one guy. I’ve believed in trusting these guys all year long. We say it every game that it’s not going to be just one or two guys that win this game. On different nights, it’s going to be different guys that step up. That was the case tonight.”
Oklahoma City star Russell Westbrook had a tripledouble by halftime and finished with 35 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists. The Thunder said Westbrook joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to claim three consecutive playoff triple-doubles.
Steven Adams scored 18 points for Oklahoma City, and Victor Oladipo had 15.
The Thunder again struggled when Westbrook rested in the second half, and Westbrook wasn’t interested in explaining why . He took over a question directed at Adams