Rockets 118, 76ers 104
PHILADELPHIA -- James Harden scored 29 points to go along with nine rebounds and eight assists, Dwight Howard added 21 points and 18 rebounds and the Houston Rockets defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 118-104 Wednesday at the Wells Fargo Center.
Patrick Beverley scored 16 points and Trevor Ariza contributed 15 for the Rockets, who won their second straight game and evened their record at 32-32. K.J. McDaniels had 12 points and Jason Terry added 10 points for Houston.
Ish Smith led the reeling Sixers with 21 points, while Nerlens Noel and Robert Covington scored 17 apiece. Isaiah Canaan contributed 14, Jerami Grant had 13 and Hollis Thompson 10.
The Sixers fell to 8-56 following their 13th consecutive loss.
Harden didn't shoot particularly well (8-for-26), but he knocked down all 13 of his free throws.
Philadelphia closed the lead to 101-98 before the Rockets went on one last spurt to seal the road win.
Terry scored seven straight points -- a 3-pointer and a four-point play for a 112-103 advantage with 2:14 remaining.
The feisty Sixers refused to wilt after falling behind 95-79, going on a 13-0 run to get within three. Smith's crossover on Harden resulted in a step-back jumper and 95-92 deficit.
However, the Rockets came right back with a three-point play from Howard and a 3-pointer from Ariza to bump the margin to 101-92 with 7:25 left.
After the Sixers climbed within 78-72 in the third quarter, the Rockets ripped off a quick 9-0 run to go back ahead 87-72.
Houston closed the third quarter in strong fashion as Michael Beasley threw down a one-hand dunk with 1.8 seconds remaining for a 93-79 advantage.
The Rockets trailed 27-21 after the first quarter before shifting into another gear on both ends of the court.
Beverley scored 16 first-half points, two shy of his season high, and Harden added 14.
Houston surged ahead with strong defensive pressure and the ability to break down the Sixers defense.
Late in the second quarter, Harden dribbled down the court and tossed a dazzling no-look pass to McDaniels for an alley-oop dunk, putting the Rockets ahead 53-45.
Harden scored eight points in a four-minute span and the Rockets bolted to a 61-52 advantage at halftime.
McDaniels gave the Rockets a major spark off the bench with 10 points. It was a surprise considering that he had scored 30 points all season while sitting out 26 games due to the coach's decision.
Grant kept the Sixers within striking distance with a strong first half consisting of 13 points in 18 minutes.
NOTES: Sixers C Jahlil Okafor missed his fifth consecutive game with a sore right shin. Okafor had a CT scan on Tuesday and his immediate future is unclear. Coach Brett Brown said, "We'll know more tonight or tomorrow." ... Newly signed Sixers G/F Sonny Weems was active and available to play. ... Rockets interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff is still searching for consistency. He took over when Kevin McHale was fired just 11 games into the season. "Change in the middle of a season is tough," Bickerstaff said. "We're trying to get to know each other when the results matter." ... Houston F Terrence Jones was inactive. ... The Rockets signed free agent G Andrew Goudelock. He was the No. 46 overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2011 NBA Draft.