Harden's 61st double-double lifts Rockets
HOUSTON -- James Harden recorded his 61st double-double and delivered a scoring flurry down the stretch to carry the Houston Rockets to a 110-104 victory and season sweep of the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night at Toyota Center.
Harden finished with 31 points and 10 assists and scored 15 consecutive points for the Rockets (53-25) to keep them afloat in a tense fourth quarter. Harden drilled a pair of 3-pointers during his run while adding seven free throws.
Houston clinched the third seed in the Western Conference.
Clint Capela (15 points, 11 rebounds) and Trevor Ariza (15 points, 10 rebounds) added double-doubles for Houston while Patrick Beverley chipped in nine points and 11 boards plus two steals. Nene added 16 points off the Rockets bench.
Five Nuggets scored in double figures, paced by forward Danilo Gallinari (23 points) and guard Gary Harris (17 points). Center Nikola Jokic tallied 12 points, 19 rebounds, nine assists and five steals for Denver (37-41), which dropped one game behind the Portland Trail Blazers for the eighth and final postseason slot in the West.
What was a sizzling start for the Rockets proved unsustainable. Houston shot 68.4 percent in the first quarter including 5 of 9 from behind the arc, and by the midpoint of the second quarter the Rockets extended their 11-point lead entering the period to 50-33 on a Capela alley-oop dunk through a Jameer Nelson foul.
Capela missed the ensuing free throw and the Nuggets immediately initiated their slow climb into contention. Gallinari and rookie guard Jamal Murray combined to score the ensuing 14 points for Denver, with Murray converting a reverse layup to cut the deficit to 57-47 with under two minutes left in the half.
Denver had effectively seized the momentum and the Rockets rendered aid by shooting 3 of 16 on 3-pointers over the next two periods. The Nuggets opened the third quarter with a 13-4 run to close the gap to one point and later surged ahead 73-71 on a second-chance basket by Harris at the 4:42 mark.
Yet when Houston needed a surge, its offense responded with a 9-2 spurt to cap the period.
NOTES: Rockets G Eric Gordon returned to his reserve role after starting the previous five games. Gordon averaged 36.3 minutes during that stretch and Houston coach Mike D'Antoni wants to better regulate his minutes in advance of the postseason. Gordon averages 30.3 minutes off the bench. ... Nuggets G Jameer Nelson (calf) and F Darrell Arthur (knee) returned to action after missing the past two and three games, respectively. ... Rockets F Ryan Anderson could return Friday after missing six games with a right ankle sprain. If Anderson practices Thursday without pain, he will play against the Detroit Pistons.