What is now known as Chesapeake Energy Arena has not been kind to James Harden since he was traded by Oklahoma City to Houston three years ago. The Rockets are 0-3 in Harden's visits and the bearded lefthander has averaged just 17.7 points on 30.3 shooting, including a combined 5-for-25 in his first two games back. Harden and his Houston teammates will try to do better Sunday when they visit Oklahoma City.
Winning should be a bit easier this time around since Harden's former running mates Kevin Durant (foot) and Russell Westbrook (hand) won't be in uniform. Harden and the Rockets perked up just in time Friday to beat a winless Philadelphia team 88-87, two days after playing in Mexico City. Oklahoma City, trying to keep its head above waters until its fallen stars return, dropped a disappointing 96-89 overtime decision to Detroit on Friday.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, CSN Houston, FS Oklahoma
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (8-1): Harden scored 35 points and added seven assists, six rebounds and three steals against the Sixers, and the NBA's No 1 scoring defense forced 23 turnovers and held Philadelphia to 42.5 percent shooting. However, victory wasn't secured until Harden hit an off-balance drive with nine seconds left. "We had to grind this one out," Rockets center Dwight Howard said. "Coming back from Mexico City with the altitude and all that stuff, I think we had a little hangover." A matchup at Memphis looms Monday before Houston returns home for five straight games.
ABOUT THE THUNDER (3-7): After recovering from a shaky 1-5 start, Oklahoma City seemed to be turning things around after winning two of three before the home dud against the Pistons. Reggie Jackson has been doing his best Westbrook impersonation, averaging 22.5 points and 8.1 assists in a league-high 42 minutes a contest, but he couldn't find the bottom of the net on a potential game-winning, pull-up jumper at the fourth-quarter buzzer Friday. “I loved the look I got. I was wide open,” Jackson said. “It just didn’t go in. I let (my teammates) down tonight.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Thunder G Jeremy Lamb had his first career double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds Friday.
2. After Sunday, the Thunder head out to play Utah and Denver before returning home for four games. Only one of the six opponents are above .500.
3. Houston will be without G Patrick Beverley (hamstring) and F Terrance Jones (leg), and Oklahoma City will be without Fs Perry Jones (knee), Grant Jerrett (ankle) and Mitch McGary (foot) and G Andre Roberson (foot).