Field Level Media
Mar 5, 2019
James Harden scored 35 points -- 19 in about the final seven minutes of the fourth quarter -- as the visiting Houston Rockets lost a 22-point lead before coming back to defeat the Toronto Raptors 107-95 to extend their winning streak to six games.
Gerald Green added 18 points for the Rockets, who won both meetings between the teams this season.
Eric Gordon and Austin Rivers added 13 points each for the Rockets, while Clint Capela had nine points and 15 rebounds and Chris Paul had five points, 10 assists and six rebounds.
Kawhi Leonard led Toronto with 26 points, Pascal Siakam had 17 points and 10 rebounds, Danny Green had 14 points and Serge Ibaka had 10 points and 15 rebounds.
The Raptors overcame a 22-point deficit in the second quarter to lead by two points entering the fourth quarter.
The Rockets, held to 14 points in the third quarter, surged to a 10-point lead when Gordon hit a 3-pointer with 9:03 to play in the fourth after a Raptors' turnover.
Harden, playing with four fouls, hit a 3-pointer with 5:48 remaining and Houston led by 14. Ibaka made two free throws with 4:25 to cut the lead to nine.
Harden's jump shot with 2:54 remaining extended the lead to 13.
The Rockets led 23-19 after the first quarter.
Capela's layup with five minutes left in the first half had Houston leading by 22.
Danny Green's 3-pointer from the corner capped an 8-0 Toronto run, trimming the margin to 14.
The Rockets turned 10 Raptors' turnovers into 19 points to take a 55-37 halftime lead. The Raptors scored only two points from seven Rockets' turnovers.
Harden had 13 first-half points while Gordon and Rivers each had 10. Leonard had 10 for Toronto.
The Raptors opened the third quarter on a 15-2 surge to reduce the lead to five on Danny Green's 3-pointer. Both of Houston's points came on free throws.
Harden picked two fouls in the first three minutes of the quarter to give him four.
Leonard made two free throws with 5:19 remaining in the third to cut the lead to one, and Siakam's hook shot gave Toronto a 60-59 lead.
There were three ties after that before Norman Powell's layup with five seconds left gave Toronto a 71-69 after three quarters.
--Field Level Media