Harden's 38 points help Rockets beat Pelicans
HOUSTON -- James Harden paired 38 points with a career-high-tying 17 assists and nailed the team's sixth 3-pointer of the fourth quarter to carry the Houston Rockets to a 117-107 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night at Toyota Center.
The Rockets (50-22) and Pelicans (30-42) engaged in a spirited back-and-forth battle down the stretch, with Houston only pulling away by catching fire from behind the arc. Patrick Beverley sank three 3s in the final period while Eric Gordon and Harden added two each as the Rockets shot 7 for 12 on 3s in the final period.
Beverley finished with 17 points and six rebounds while Gordon added 14 points, five rebounds and four assists off the bench. The Rockets needed the production to counter what was an outstanding showcase from Pelicans bigs Anthony Davis (33 points, 16 rebounds) and DeMarcus Cousins (29 points).
Jrue Holiday added 18 points and nine assists for New Orleans, which had its three-game winning streak snapped.
What was an 11-3 dash from the gate for the Rockets collapsed under an avalanche of turnovers, with the Pelicans scoring eight points off eight Houston turnovers to streak into the lead.
Cousins was the catalyst behind a 17-2 run with two 3s and a three-point play, and when he sank a trey through a foul and added the subsequent free throw, the Pelicans led 25-18. Harden quickly got going.
Harden closed the period with eight consecutive points after opening it with four quick assists. He returned from the bench midway through the second quarter and added a pair of free throws and a step-back jumper to cut the deficit to 46-45 and helped lift Houston to the lead in the third before Davis went wild.
With Houston leading 62-59, Davis scored 17 consecutive points for the Pelicans, dragging them to a 76-74 lead before Harden answered with a 3 that put the Rockets back in front. Davis posted 19 points and four rebounds in the period.
NOTES: With their 14 3-pointers, the Rockets increased their season total to 1,050 and closed to within 28 of surpassing the NBA record of 1,077 set by the Golden State Warriors last season. ... Rockets G James Harden recorded his fourth consecutive 30-point, 10-assist game, the longest such streak in the NBA since Bulls G Michael Jordan in April of 1989. Harden has three four-game streaks this season. ... Pelicans G Tim Frazier made his third consecutive start and finished with three assists against one turnover. Over his last six games, Frazier has a 34-to-4 assist-to-turnover ratio.