Rockets 108, Trail Blazers 103 (OT)
HOUSTON -- Guard James Harden posted a double-double as the Houston Rockets rallied from a 17-point deficit to defeat the Portland Trail Blazers 108-103 in overtime on Wednesday night at Toyota Center.
Harden finished with 45 points and 11 assists, scoring 26 points in the fourth quarter and overtime to help the Rockets (5-7) snap a four-game losing streak in the debut of interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who replaced fired Kevin McHale.
Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum finished with 19 points and hit a timely 3-pointer with 4:54 left in regulation after two free throws by guard Damian Lillard (23 points) halted an 8-0 Rockets run. Houston had clawed to 83-81 before the Lillard free throws.
But the Rockets wouldn't relent. Harden hit a 3-pointer with 38 seconds left to cut the deficit to 97-94 and, after Blazers forward Al-Farouq Aminu (16 points, 15 rebounds) sank two free throws with 6.6 seconds left to rebuild the lead to three, Rockets swingman Corey Brewer nailed a 3-point shot with 0.9 of a seconds remaining to send the game to overtime tied 99-99.
Rockets center Dwight Howard grabbed 19 rebounds and forward Trevor Ariza added 18 points and eight rebounds.
Reserve guard Allen Crabbe scored 13 of his 15 points in the second quarter for the Trail Blazers (4-9), who dropped their seventh consecutive game.
If the Rockets anticipated an emotional jolt after the dismissal of McHale, it didn't last long. Even with the Blazers committing eight turnovers in the first quarter, the best Houston could muster with a five-point lead at 22-17.
Portland whittled the deficit to one by the close of the quarter when guard Gerald Henderson hit a 3-point shot with 1:11 left in the quarter.
But no matter how much scrambling the Rockets did defensively, they could not overcome their woeful shooting. Houston made just 4 of 25 from the field in the second quarter and, combined with an inability to locate Crabbe in the corners, enabled the Blazers to build a healthy lead.
Crabbe nailed three treys before the 5:07 mark of the second quarter, with his third lifting the Blazers to a 34-31 lead.
Ariza had drilled a 3-pointer less than a minute earlier to push the Rockets in front, but Houston went nearly four minutes without a field goal and Portland closed the half with an 11-2 run resulting in a 46-35 lead.
Portland bumped its advantage to 69-52 on an Aminu post basket with 2:38 left in the third quarter and things started to feel familiar for the Rockets. But they mustered one last -- and surprising -- gasp in the fourth.
NOTES: With the Rockets firing coach Kevin McHale earlier on Wednesday, Houston assistant J.B. Bickerstaff was elevated to interim head coach and began the process of initiating what he hopes is a turnaround. "It's to get back to who we were, who we've been," Bickerstaff said of his plan. "Who we were when we had our most success." ... Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts can identify with the position Bickerstaff finds himself in, having served as interim coach with the Atlanta Hawks after Lon Kruger was fired 27 games into the 2002-03 season. "You don't worry about any of that, you just prepare for each game," Stotts said of the interim tag. "The work keeps you pretty occupied. I know J.B. is going to be working his tail off." ... Houston players took the brunt of the blame after McHale was dismissed, primarily for their lack of defensive effort. They didn't shy from that burden. "We are responsible. Coach can't make us play hard," Rockets G/F Corey Brewer said. "That's up to us. It's got to be a wakeup call. We've got to get better. It's about winning."