Rockets 107, Pacers 103 (OT)
HOUSTON -- Following a hail of 3-pointers, the Houston Rockets turned a late defensive stand into a 107-103 overtime victory over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night at Toyota Center.
After surrendering the first six points of the extra session, all on layups, the Rockets rallied with treys from guard Patrick Beverley (16 points, six assists) and forwards Trevor Ariza (24 points) and Corey Brewer (12 points).
The Brewer 3-pointer gave Houston a 105-103 lead. The Rockets' collapsing defense on Pacers guard Monta Ellis forced a miss in the waning moments, with Ariza following with a breakaway dunk to cap the scoring.
Rockets center Dwight Howard paired 21 points with 17 rebounds, while guard James Harden scored 21 points and added nine rebounds and nine assists.
Five Pacers scored in double figures, including forward Paul George, who had 20 points but just two following the third period. George also recorded seven steals. Ellis added 11 points and a game-high 13 assists for Indiana (21-16).
Having scuffled for most of the second half, the Rockets (19-19) suddenly came alive with a 12-1 run midway through the fourth quarter, closing within 89-88 on a corner 3-pointer from Ariza with 2:59 left.
However, Ellis and Pacers center Ian Mahinmi responded with consecutive baskets before things went south for Harden, who committed a bad pass that led to a turnover and then rimmed out a 3-pointer with the Rockets trailing 93-90 with 42 seconds to play.
The Rockets forced overtime when Ariza nailed a 3-pointer with 17.1 seconds left, and Ellis followed with a missed jumper at the buzzer.
After their defense collapsed when the Pacers went small in the second quarter, the Rockets' offense followed suit in the third.
Houston shot 4-for-22 in the period and went nearly six minutes without a field goal between a Howard hook shot at the 8:51 mark and a driving layup from Harden with 2:52 remaining. The Pacers expanded their lead to double digits during that stretch behind George, who poured in 14 points in the period behind a variety of attacking moves that included a transition dunk, a corner 3-pointer and a three-point play to close the quarter.
The Rockets' offense was pristine in the first, with crisp ball movement yielding open shots and 52 percent shooting. Houston assisted on seven of its 13 field goals in the period, but the only thing that slowed its offensive surge was turnovers (five), but Indiana had seven in the first.
When the Pacers eliminated the miscues in the second quarter, the momentum shifted. It also helped when Indiana went small, turning a nine-point deficit following a Brewer 3-pointer with 8:41 left in the half into a 50-45 lead after guard George Hill and forward C.J. Miles hit consecutive treys.
The Pacers sank four threes during their run, taking advantage of the Rockets' scrambling defense caused by dribble penetration. When Houston failed to close off driving lanes, reserve guards Glenn Robinson III and Rodney Stuckey converted at the rim for Indiana with relative ease.
NOTES: Pacers rookie G Joseph Young graduated from Houston Yates High School and spent his first two collegiate seasons with the University of Houston. He had roughly 100 friends and family in attendance for his professional debut in his hometown. He scored three points in seven minutes. ... Rockets C Dwight Howard (back) returned to the lineup after sitting out Thursday night's win over the Utah Jazz. ... The Pacers utilized the starting lineup of Gs Monta Ellis and George Hill, Fs Lavoy Allen and Paul George and C Ian Mahinmi for the 11th time, their second-most utilized lineup.