PHOENIX (AP) — James Harden scored 33 points, including a 20-foot jumper as time ran out, to lift the Houston Rockets to a 113-111 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Friday night.
Harden’s 33 points came in the absence of injured star center Dwight Howard for three quarters.
Harden, the NBA’s leading scorer entering the night at 27.2 points per game, added 10 assists and six rebounds and made 14 of 17 free throw attempts for the Rockets, who were without injured star center Dwight Howard for the final three quarters. Donatas Motiejunas added 15 points as Houston improved to 24-2 when leading at halftime this season.
Houston had to fend off a late rally by the Suns, came back from 16 points down midway through the fourth quarter and tied it on Markieff Morris’ three-point play with 16.6 seconds to play. The Rockets then held the ball for the game’s last shot.
Eric Bledsoe had 25 points, eight rebounds and nine assists to lead the Suns, who had won four straight overall and seven straight at home.. Isaiah Thomas added 22 points and Morris had 21.
Harden had 18 points at halftime, including three 3-pointers on four attempts and a high-flying dunk 4.9 seconds before the halftime buzzer that gave the Rockets a 60-52 lead at the break.
Howard suffered a sprained right ankle in the first quarter and did not return to action, finishing his night with just five points and three rebounds in a little more than 8 minutes.
The Rockets didn’t seem to miss Howard’s 17-point, 11-rebounds-per-game averages, at least on the offensive end. They made 51.8 percent of their shots and dominated in the paint, outscoring the Suns 64-46 inside.
Six Rockets scored in double figures for the game.
The Suns trailed by 10 at the start of the fourth quarter and were down 102-86 after Harden’s layup with 6:11 to go. Phoenix then went on a 20-6 run to pull within two on Thomas’ 3 with 53 seconds remaining.
Houston took a 12-point lead in the first quarter on a floater from Corey Brewer with 1:22 left to play. Before that, the Rockets hit four 3-pointers, two that got friendly bounces high off the rim and dropped in for Howard and Harden.
Back-to-back 3s from Thomas pulled the Suns to 30-24 before the first quarter ended.
Phoenix cut the lead to 52-50 on Bledsoe’s 3 with 3:14 left in the first half. But Houston led by eight at the break.
TIP-INS
Rockets: Harden was on the team’s injury report going into the game with a bruised left knee, as was Howard with a strained right knee. … G Patrick Beverley’s hustle stopped a layup attempt in the third quarter when he stripped the Suns’ Goran Dragic and forced a lost ball out of bounds, then Dragic, a former Rockets player, was whistled for a technical foul for arguing. … Houston’s 30-14 record is its best through 44 games since the 1996-97 season, when the Rockets were 32-12.
Suns: Forward P.J. Tucker was issued a technical foul 26 seconds into the second half. … Phoenix has assigned rookie G Tyler Ennis and F T.J. Warren to Bakersfield of the NBA Development League. It’s the third stint in the D-League for both players this season.
UP NEXT
Rockets: At Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.
Suns: Host Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.
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