Harden scores 40 in Rockets' win over Nuggets
DENVER -- James Harden had 40 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, and the Houston Rockets beat the Denver Nuggets 109-105 on Saturday night.
Harden has 11 games of 40 or more points and did it on consecutive nights. He also notched his 19th triple-double of the season.
Clint Capela scored 16 points for the Rockets (48-22), who won despite a season-low in 3-point attempts (24) and makes (five).
Gary Harris scored 17 points, Nikola Jokic added 16 and Jameer Nelson tallied 15 points and 11 assists for the Nuggets, who lead Portland by 1 1/2 games for the No. 8 playoff seed in the Western Conference.
Denver played without Danilo Gallinari (left knee bruise) and Wilson Chandler (right groin contusion), and Jokic was in foul trouble for much of the game.
The Nuggets overcame poor foul shooting in the fourth quarter to get within a point after Nene's dunk had given Houston a 106-100 lead. Will Barton was fouled on a 3-point attempt but hit just two free throws to make it 106-105.
Nene split a pair of free throws at the other end, and Barton missed a 3-pointer with 33 seconds left and a driving layup that would have tied it with five seconds left.
Harden was fouled and iced it with two free throws with 3.7 seconds left.
The Rockets started 1 for 15 from long range and missed 10 in a row until Ryan Anderson hit one to put them ahead 64-61 midway through the third quarter.
Harden took over for the rest of the quarter. He scored the final 16 points of the third for the Rockets, including a 3-pointer at the horn that gave them an 80-74 lead.
Houston stretched the lead to eight and Jokic picked up his fifth foul early in the fourth.
The Rockets were just 1 for 11 from 3-point range in the first half but stayed in the game by hitting 14 free throws to trail by just five at the break.
NOTES: Houston coach Mike D'Antoni said he has no plans to rest players down the stretch even if his team is locked into a playoff seed. "We have guys that want to play the whole 82," he said. "We talk about it; and, if they need a rest, we'll do that. Right now we don't have any plans. It doesn't mean we won't." ... Nuggets F Darrell Arthur has sat out three games with left knee soreness. ... Rockets F Sam Dekker played despite being questionable with back soreness.