Westbrook, Harden lead Houston’s rally vs. Spurs

RUSSELL Westbrook scored 25 of his 31 points in the first half, and James Harden finished with 28 as the Houston Rockets rallied for a 109-107 win over the visiting San Antonio Spurs on Monday.

Houston trailed by 25 in the second quarter and by 19 at the half but roared back behind Harden and Westbrook, assuming a 101-97 lead on a Harden dunk with 4:46 to play.

P.J. Tucker’s 3-pointer with 2:34 to play gave the Rockets a 107-104 lead. Both teams struggled offensively down the stretch, with Rudy Gay’s layup with 46.3 seconds left bringing San Antonio to within 107-106.

Harden, who scored 19 after halftime, then canned two free throws with 16.2 seconds remaining to push the Houston advantage to three points. Bryn Forbes then missed a 3-pointer for the Spurs, but Houston’s Clint Capela mishandled the rebound, giving San Antonio another chance with 6.3 seconds to play.