| |
|
NBA - Harden launches 31 points as Rockets beat OKC, 112-101
By Franco Ching Alsay
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 16 Jan 2015
HOUSTON -- The Houston Rockets used a 40-18 first quarter burst to upend a well-rested Oklahoma City Thunder, 112-101, on Thursday night at the Toyota Center.
James Harden led Houston's balanced attack with 31 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. Trevor Ariza had 17 points and four steals while Jonas Motiejunas tallied 14 points and four boards.
Dwight Howard, Patrick Beverley and Josh Smith each had 13 points for the Rockets, who made 41 of 86 percent from the field (47.7 percent) and 16 of 36 from above the 3-point line (44.7 percent).
It was a good bounce back win for the Rockets, who bowed to the Orlando Magic, 120-113, on Wednesday night.
OKC, which came off of a five-day layoff, got 24 points from reigning MVP Kevin Durant's 24 points on 8-for-12 shooting. But it wasn't enough spark to beat a well-rounded Rockets team that is 14-6 at home and 28-12 overall.
Russell Westbrook finished with 16 points and eight assists for the Thunder while Reggie Jackson pitched in 16 points, six assists and six rebounds, but OKC struggled on the field, making only 35 of 81 shots.
"We got to do a much better job and with a sense of urgency, we can't give a high power offensive team a lot of easy looks" Thunder head coach Scott Brooks told reporters during his post-game press conference..
With the loss, the Thunder's record fell to 18-20 and 3.5 games behind the 23-18 Phoenix Suns for the eighth and last playoffs berth in the highly-competitive Western Conference. (FA)
Photo: James Harden's 31 points was more than enough to power the Houston Rockets past the OKC Thunder, 112-101, at the Toyota Center.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Franco Ching Alsay.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
DAZN and Top Rank announce a landmark multi-year media rights deal bringing elite events and a storied archive to DAZN users worldwide
, Thu, 19 Mar 2026Sampson Boxing Signs Top Junior Lightweight Contender Charly Suarez to a Promotional Contract
, Thu, 19 Mar 2026THE PAST WEEK IN ACTION 17 MARCH 2026: Collazo Stops Haro; Fundora KO Ruiz; Barboza Outpoints Sims; Cacace UD Dickens
By Eric Armit, , Wed, 18 Mar 2026Tapales Near Peak Form Ahead of April 3 Tokyo Showdown with Oguni
, Wed, 18 Mar 2026MILLER AND PERO CLASH IN HEAVYWEIGHT SHOWDOWN IN LAS VEGAS ON APRIL 25
, Wed, 18 Mar 2026Middleweight Championship Battle Between (C) Khamzat Chimaev and (#3) Sean Strickland Headlines UFC® 328 at Prudential Center Live on Paramount+
, Wed, 18 Mar 2026Sampson Lewkowicz & TM Boxing Sign Undefeated Mexican Prospect José Ángel Guerrero to Co-Promotional Deal
, Wed, 18 Mar 202612-Time World Champion & Hall of Famer James Toney Confirmed for Ninth Annual Box Fan Expo, During Cinco De Mayo Weekend, Saturday May 2, in Las Vegas
, Wed, 18 Mar 2026Five stitches for Donaire’s cut
By Joaquin Henson, , Tue, 17 Mar 2026Roberto Gomez Training Camp Notes
, Tue, 17 Mar 2026Esneth Domingo Trains at the Wildcard Gym in Los Angeles Ahead of His US Debut
, Tue, 17 Mar 2026Tatay Digong Birthday Run on March 28
By Lito delos Reyes, , Tue, 17 Mar 202612-0 prospect Marco Romero to headline This Friday in Independence, Missouri
, Tue, 17 Mar 2026700 athletes on March 21-22 at UM
By Lito delos Reyes, , Tue, 17 Mar 2026United States Earns Four Gold Medals on Final Day of 2026 World Boxing Futures Cup
, Mon, 16 Mar 2026Mexico wins 2 bronze medals at World Boxing Futures Cup in Bangkok
By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Mon, 16 Mar 2026Arnold Barboza Jr. Shines in Welterweight Debut, Defeats Kenneth Sims Jr. to Claim Wbo Global Welterweight Title
, Sun, 15 Mar 2026WBC top contender Canoy returns to Davao with Unanimous Decision Victory
, Sun, 15 Mar 2026John Randall Peralta: The Future of the Philippine Chess
By Marlon Bernardino, , Sun, 15 Mar 2026Alvin “Felemon” Dologuin Claims Win in Brico Santig’s Show in Thailand (PHOTOS)
, Sun, 15 Mar 2026Donaire's Yokohama Showdown: Can our Filipino Flash Outshine the Rising Sun? (WEIGH-IN PHOTOS)
By Carlos Costa, , Sun, 15 Mar 2026USA Boxing Youth High Performance Team Wins Five of Eight Bouts on Day Six
, Sun, 15 Mar 2026Shai Gilgeous-Alexander surpasses Chamberlain's record of 127 consecutive NBA games with 20 points or more
By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Sun, 15 Mar 2026World-Ranked Light Heavyweight Najee Lopez Stops Mexican Terminator Manuel Gallego in Eight Classic Rounds in Main Event of ProBoxTV’s ‘The Contender Series’
, Sat, 14 Mar 2026Weigh-in from Highland Boxing in Bangkok, Thailand; Dologuin in Action (WEIGH-IN PHOTOS)
, Sat, 14 Mar 2026 |
|
|
|
|
|
