Rockets 116, Kings 81
HOUSTON – James Harden capped a marvelous statistical season and the Houston Rockets claimed the final playoff berth in the Western Conference with a 116-81 win over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night at Toyota Center.
Harden finished with 38 points and joined Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan and LeBron James as the only players to average 29 points, six rebounds and seven assists in a season.
Harden scored 19 points in the third quarter and completed a three-point play with 7:15 left in the fourth quarter to push his scoring total above the needed threshold.
The Rockets (41-41) closed the regular season with three consecutive victories to set the stage for a matchup with the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs. They did so by obliterating the short-handed Kings (33-49), who played without seven regulars.
Dwight Howard added 14 points and 10 rebounds for Houston. Patrick Beverley hadnine points and a career-high 12 assists.
The Rockets led wire to wire while eliminating the Utah Jazz before they tipped off in Los Angeles in their finale against the Lakers.
Ben McLemore paced the Kings with 24 points. Kosta Koufos added a double-double of 12 points and 11 assists.
Houston wasted little time establishing its dominance, grabbing a 15-5 lead on a Beverley 3-pointer with 7:41 left in the first quarter.
The Rockets extended the lead to 20 when Corey Brewer completed a fast-break dunk with 11:18 remaining in the first half. That transition basket was part of a 19-4 run that stretched the Rockets' advantage to 49-27.
Sacramento managed one last push for respectability, slicing the deficit to 19 points with a 10-0 run late in the second quarter. But Harden opened the second half with seven quick points before enjoying a 10-point individual run that upped the lead to 88-57 with 2:42 left.
NOTES: Kings coach George Karl did not directly address published reports that he will be fired by the team on Thursday but did comment on the task of potentially serving in a lame-duck capacity against the Rockets. "It's easy to coach," Karl said. "This is a fun game for everyone." Karl also spoke at length about the role continuity plays in building a franchise foundation, a veiled shot at his job status. ... Having struggled with first-quarter production for long stretches this season, the Rockets appear to have righted their ship of late, averaging 35.3 points in the opening period over the three games preceding the finale. ... The Kings played the season finale without Rudy Gay, Caron Butler, Rajon Rondo, DeMarcus Cousins, Darren Collison, Marco Belinelli and Omri Casspi.