Rockets 100, Mavericks 96
DALLAS -- Guard James Harden poured in 18 of his game-high 25 points, including a backbreaking step-back jumper with 7.4 seconds to go to keep the Houston Rockets on a hot streak with a 100-96 road win against Southwest Division rivals the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night at American Airlines Center.
Harden bounced back from a 3-for-12 shooting first-half with 11 points in the third quarter, plus two huge baskets and a terrific assist in crunch time that inched the slow-starting Rockets a little closer to .500 at 9-11.
The Rockets also won for the first time this season when Harden did not take at least 10 free throws. The Mavs' defense typically plays him tough, and did so again, limiting Harden to just five free-throw attempts, while also holding him to just 1-of-6 from beyond the 3-point arc.
But he was still too much for Dallas. Harden finished with nine assists and eight rebounds in a game that Houston played without center Dwight Howard to afford him extra rest on the first night of a back-to-back.
Harden's counterpart, Dallas guard Deron Williams, led the Mavs with 22 points and six assists. Forward Dirk Nowitzki had 16 points, 10 rebounds and four assists, but he also gave the home fans a bit of a scare when he headed to the locker room with a left ankle issue with 11:17 to go and the game tied 78-78.
Nowitzki made it back to the bench with a little more than eight minutes left and the game tied 84-84. He immediately put on his sweat pants and top, but did re-enter the game with 6:30 to go and Houston ahead by one, 86-85.
Nowitzki's go-ahead 3-point attempt with 1:24 to go missed, but he then tied the game at 96-96 with a pair of free throws with 1:10 to go.
Harden extended the lead to 94-90 with 3:44 left with a beautiful drive down the lane and a banker that also drew a foul for a three-point play. Houston guard Patrick Beverley, who drained his first four-point shots of the first half, snared a big offensive rebound that set up a layup by forward Terrence Jones for a 96-92 cushion 2:34 left.
With 55.1 seconds to go, Harden found Jones all alone under the basket thanks to a defensive miscue by Mavs forward Chandler Parsons for an easy dunk and a 98-96 lead.
Nowitzki missed a difficult jumper from the top of the key to tie with 33 seconds left. Harden grabbed the rebound and with 7.4 second left drained a step-back jumper over Mavs guard Wesley Matthews, who could not have defended Harden any better.
Houston forward Trevor Ariza added 18 points, Jones had 17 and nine rebounds, and Beverley finished with 14.
Dallas bench players, guard Devin Harris (15 points) and backup center Dwight Powell (11 points) were the only other Mavs besides Nowitzki and Williams to score in double figures.
Eleven first-half 3-pointers on 18 attempts, including 4-of-6 in the second quarter, helped Houston build a short-lived 12-point lead.
The Rockets held an 18-point advantage beyond the arc in the opening half, but stretches of cold-shooting from closer range that resulted in only 42.9 percent shooting overall in the first half for Houston kept Dallas within four, 57-53, at halftime.
NOTES: Houston C Dwight Howard did not play Friday night to rest on the front end of a back-to-back. He will play Saturday against Sacramento. ... The Rockets appear ready to integrate F Donatas Motiejunas into the rotation. Motiejunas has been out with a herniated disc. Because Houston has so few practice days coming up, the Rockets want to work Motiejanas back into game action. ... The Rockets sent second-year F K.J. McDaniels to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA Development League to get him the playing time he has not received in Houston. ... Rockets G James Harden has attempted more free throws than anyone through 18 games since Allen Iverson in 2005. Harden has also made more free throws this season than anyone else has attempted. ... Mavs G J.J. Barea missed Friday's game with a sprained ankle. He could be ready to play when Dallas begins a two game-road trip on Sunday at Washington. ... Mavericks F Chandler Parsons is permitted to play only 25 minutes a game as he continues to regain full strength after offseason knee surgery. He told ESPN.com that he believes his real season will start in January when he can log more minutes. So far this season, Chandler is averaging career lows across the board of 8.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 19.2 minutes. ... C ZaZa Pachulia entered Friday's game, the 20th of the season for Dallas, with 12 double-doubles, which was tied for second in the league. He collected a career-high 21 rebounds on Tuesday night at Portland.