Rockets 103, Jazz 94
HOUSTON -- James Harden tallied a game-high 33 points as the Houston Rockets recovered from a sluggish first half to surge past the Utah Jazz 103-94 Thursday night at Toyota Center.
Harden drilled an elbow jumper with 2:47 remaining and added a driving layup with 1:51 left to keep the Jazz at bay. Harden finished 13-for-25 from the floor despite missing all seven of his 3-point attempts.
Forward Terrence Jones chipped in 14 points and eight rebounds, while guards Jason Terry and Marcus Thornton scored 12 points apiece off the Houston bench. Harden added eight rebounds and two steals.
Forward Gordon Hayward paced the Jazz (15-20) with 15 points, while forward Trevor Booker (12 points), forward Chris Johnson (11) and guard Trey Burke (10) scored in double figures off the bench. Utah dropped its third consecutive game and second to Houston (18-19) this week.
In a bizarre twist, both offenses perked up when Jazz guard Rodney Hood was lost to an ankle injury early in the third quarter. Hood led Utah with 10 points at the point of his departure, and the Jazz led 48-46 after Harden scored a transition layup with Hood writing on the floor.
The Rockets, in particular, came alive, posting 33 points in the third quarter after struggling to score just 39 in the first half. Harden poured in 16 points in the period and assisted forward Trevor Ariza for a 3-pointer after recording a blocked shot as the lone defender during a three-on-one break for the Jazz. Ariza pushed the Rockets to a 57-55 lead, an advantage Houston upped to 72-66 entering the fourth quarter.
The third-quarter offense marked a departure from the Rockets' second-quarter woes. Houston missed 17 of 24 shots in the second period and closed the half just 1-for-10 from behind the arc. And while Utah stood at a deficit in paint points and failed to score in transition by the break, the Rockets' errant shooting helped the Jazz to a 44-39 halftime lead.
Utah center Rudy Gobert, making his first appearance following an 18-game injury hiatus, provided an immediate boost during his five minutes in the first quarter, when the Jazz outscored Houston by 10 points with Gobert on the floor. Houston led 10-2 before allowing an 11-1 run.
NOTES: Rockets C Dwight Howard (back soreness) missed a game for the first time since Dec. 4. Howard departed early from shootaround and attempted to stretch out his back pregame before being scratched. The Rockets were also without F/C Donatas Motiejunas, who will miss an undetermined amount of time due to back soreness. ... Jazz C Rudy Gobert returned to action after missing 18 games with a left knee sprain. Gobert last played Nov. 30 in a loss to the Golden State Warriors. ... Rockets G Ty Lawson was suspended three games by the NBA for driving under the influence of alcohol, a violation of state law in California. Lawson began his suspension Thursday. He was suspended for two games earlier this season for a similar incident in Colorado.