Field Level Media
Aug 23, 2012
James Harden and Chris Paul combined for 48 points, and the host Houston Rockets withstood a career night from Atlanta Hawks rookie guard Trae Young for a 119-111 win on Monday.
Harden had his streak of consecutive 30-point games end at 32, posting 28 points despite finishing 0-for-10 from 3-point range.
The Rockets star had an opportunity to pursue an extension of the streak, the second-longest in league history behind Wilt Chamberlain's 65-game run in 1961-62, but he dribbled out the clock with the win secure.
Harden had sat out the Rockets' previous game, a Saturday road win over the Golden State Warriors, due to a neck injury.
Paul added 20 points, eight assists and six rebounds and carried the Rockets to a 10-point lead entering the fourth quarter with a show of force down the stretch of the third.
Four other Rockets scored in double figures, with Eric Gordon scoring 16 off the bench after being replaced in the starting lineup by Kenneth Faried (13 points, 10 rebounds, two blocked shots).
Young paired 36 points on 8-of-12 shooting from 3-point range with eight assists. The Hawks shot 17 of 38 from deep, with three others joining Young by making multiple treys. Forward John Collins chipped in 20 points and 12 rebounds for the Hawks.
Despite shooting the lights out in the first quarter, the Rockets never seized complete control of the contest.
Houston finished 6 of 11 from deep in the opening frame, but the Hawks shot 6 of 10 on treys. And despite Harden and Paul combining for 16 points and the Rockets converting 61.9 percent of their overall shot attempts, their 11-point lead entering the second quarter felt tenuous.
Young was the reason. Atlanta trailed by as many as 12 points in the second before Young sparked a comeback with 12 points in the period. His 3-pointer pulled the Hawks even at 56-56 with 3:29 left in the half, and Young added two free throws at the 2:03 mark for a two-point lead.
--Field Level Media