Harden and Rockets snap four-game skid
James Harden had 37 points, and the Houston Rockets snapped a fourgame skid with a 117-111 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night.
The Rockets trailed for much of the early part of this game but used a big run in the third quarter to take the lead and hold on for the win. It was a muchneeded victory for a team which called a blowout loss to Orlando on Sunday night “rock bottom.”
Their losing streak, which matched a seasonhigh, came after they won six in a row and dropped them to sixth in the Western Conference with the playoffs fast approaching.
Harden vowed after Sunday’s embarrassing loss that they would turn things around. And they did against the Timberwolves thanks in large part to his performance and another solid game from Russell Westbrook, who finished with 27 points.
D’Angelo Russell had 28 points to lead the Timberwolves, who lost their third straight.
The Rockets led by 3 entering the fourth after scoring the last 10 points of the third quarter, and a 3-pointer by Harden with about eight minutes left pushed their lead to 94-86.
The Timberwolves got a 3-point play from Naz Reid after that, but the Rockets scored the next eight points, with the first five from Harden, to make it 102-89 midway through the quarter.
Minnesota got within 6 after a 7-0 run started by a 3-point play from Russell later in the fourth, but Eric Gordon made his first 3-pointer of the game to push the lead to 105-96 with three minutes to go.
Harden and Westbrook both had seven assists for Houston and Gordon added 16 points in his return after missing two games with a sore knee. Harden made five 3-pointers after making just five combined in the previous three games.
BOSTON 114, PACERS 111 >> Jayson Tatum scored 30 points, Gordon Hayward recorded a double-double with 27 points and 10 rebounds, and visiting Boston recovered after giving up a late lead to beat Indiana. WIZARDS 122, KNICKS 115 >> Bradley Beal got back to his high-scoring ways with 40 points, lifting Washington to a victory over New York. SPURS 1129, MAVERICKS 109 >> LaMarcus Aldridge had 24 points in his return from injury, and San Antonio withstood Luka Doncic’s 38 points to beat Dallas and keep its playoff hopes afloat. MAGIC 120, GRIZZLIES 115 >> Terrence Ross scored 24 points, including fueling a rally with 18 in the fourth quarter, as Orlando defeated Memphis.
Michael Carter-Williams added 20 for Orlando and Nikola Vucevic finished with 19 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists for the Magic. Ross was 6 of 9 in the fourth quarter,.
BULLS 108, CAVALIERS 103 >> Coby White scored 20 points to help offset a career-high nine turnovers in his first NBA start, and Chicago beat Cleveland.
CAVS MAKE BICKERSTAFF PERMANENT COACH >> J.B. Bickerstaff’s impressive start with the Cavaliers has been rewarded. Bickerstaff, who has Cleveland playing its best basketball this season since taking over when John Beilein suddenly resigned last month, agreed to a multiyear contract with the team.
The Cavs announced the deal with Bickerstaff shortly before their loss in Chicago, where they started a six-game trip.