Harden scores 46, Rockets fly past Thunder

James Harden finally beat his former team on Wednesday night.

It took the best game of his career to get it done.

Harden scored a career-high 46 points and Jeremy Lin added 29 as the Houston Rockets mounted a furious fourth-quarter comeback for a 122-119 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

"I just told the guys on the court that we've got to do whatever it takes, we've got to get some stops together and make some shots," Harden said. "It's not going to be easy, they're a very good team. But we got some stops at the right time and guys made good shots."

Houston was down by 14 points with about seven minutes left. The Rockets used a 21-4 run to erase the deficit and take a 114-111 lead with 1:46 remaining. Harden stepped back under heavy pressure from Serge Ibaka to sink a 3 to tie it, before Lin connected on one seconds later to give the Rockets their first lead of the second half.

Harden, traded from Oklahoma City to Houston before the season, made a bucket before Ibaka made two free throws. Then came another 3 by Lin to extend the lead to 119-113.

A 3-pointer by Russell Westbrook got Oklahoma City within three points, but Lin made one of two free throws to secure the win.

It was Houston's first win this season over the Thunder, who won both previous meetings, including a 30-point win in the last matchup. The loss extended Oklahoma City's skid to three games.

"He's a phenomenal offensive force," Houston coach Kevin McHale said of Harden. "He can drive it. He's got the ability to shoot it ... to beat you off the bounce. I think he's almost unguardable off the catch."

Kevin Durant summed up the fourth quarter succinctly.

"They got hot, we got cold," Durant said. "They played defense, we didn't."

Thabo Sefolosha led the Thunder with 28 points and had six 3-pointers, both career highs. His previous career high was 22, which he reached twice, most recently in 2008.

Westbrook also scored 28 points and added 10 rebounds and eight assists. Kevin Durant had 16 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists for his second career triple-double.

Harden had struggled in the two previous games against his former team. He averaged 21 points in those meetings, but went only 9 for 33 from the field and made just four 3-pointers.

On Wednesday, Harden was 11 of 12 from the free-throw line, made a career-best seven 3-pointers, had eight rebounds and six assists.

"He hit some tough shots," Durant said. "That's what great players do. He rode them to victory. He passed the ball well, he shot the ball well."

Thunder coach Scott Brooks didn't want to make too much out of Harden beating his former team.

"He wanted to win the game, just like we wanted to beat him and their team," Brooks said. "It was about us against them, not James against us or us against James."

Lin grabbed a steal from Westbrook and dished to Harden, who made a shot from beyond halfcourt at the third-quarter buzzer to cut Oklahoma City's lead to 92-87.

The Thunder then extended the lead to 107-93 after Kevin Martin and Sefolosha hit back-to-back 3-pointers before Houston rallied.

Lin raved about Harden's performance.

"If he is not up for MVP consideration, I don't know what else he needs to do," Lin said. "He made every single big play down the stretch, and even the shots that I was able to have, they were created because of him."

Notes:

The Rockets reached agreements on two trades that will send Patrick Patterson, Cole Aldrich and Toney Douglas to Sacramento and Marcus Morris to Phoenix, a person familiar with the situation said on Wednesday. The Rockets will receive Thomas Robinson, the No 5 pick in last year's draft, Francisco Garcia and Tyler Honeycutt from the Kings, according to the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced and was still pending league approval. ... Thunder center Kendrick Perkins missed Wednesday's game with a sprained right knee. ... Wednesday was Houston's ninth double-digit comeback win this season.

(China Daily 02/22/2013 page24)