James Harden scores 44 as Rockets hold off Nets with defense

James Harden scored 44 and the Rockets held an opponent below 100 points for the first time since Nov. 13 in Saturday’s win over Brooklyn.

Houston star James Harden had 44 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, and four blocks as the Rockets used a hot start and strong team defense in Saturday’s second half to defeat visiting Brooklyn, 108-98 (box score).

The Rockets (22-10) held the Nets (16-15) to 44 points in the second half and just 19 in the fourth quarter. It was the first time since Nov. 13 that Houston has held an opponent below 100 points for a game.

Overall, it’s the 11th win in 15 games for the Rockets, who return to action Sunday night in New Orleans for the second game of a back-to-back.

“We were all locked in,” said reserve guard Austin Rivers, who had four big 3-pointers (and 14 points) off the Houston bench and was a part of head coach Mike D’Antoni‘s closing lineup.

“I thought we communicated really well,” Rivers added, referring to the defensive effort. “We were all on the same page. Coming off a really bad loss on Christmas Day [at Golden State], we really wanted to come out on the first night of a back-to-back and get this one.”

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Harden led the way on offense with 44 points on remarkable 17-of-27 shooting efficiency (63.0%), including 6-of-10 from 3-point range (60.0%). But over half of those came in the first quarter, when Harden’s 23-point outburst led the Rockets to an early 42-20 lead.

After the first quarter, the Nets routinely doubled and trapped Harden. It was a similar strategy to what the Warriors used on Wednesday, and it was nearly as effective at times.

Led by 17 points and 11 assists from Spencer Dinwiddie, the Nets came all the way back from down 22 to briefly take a lead early in the fourth quarter. Outside of Harden, the Rockets shot just 7-of-32 (21.9%) on 3-pointers, despite many being wide open.

But unlike the Rockets’ performance on Christmas Day, Houston’s defense was strong enough to keep the game close. And eventually — between a few makes against the Brooklyn zone from Rivers, aggressive moves to the basket by Russell Westbrook, and a late step-back dagger 3-pointer from Harden — the Rockets put the pesky Nets away.

Westbrook, who had 23 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists on Saturday, is not expected to play Sunday in New Orleans on the second half of a back-to-back. However, the Rockets will get reserve guard Eric Gordon back after an absence of over six weeks due to knee surgery.

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Houston is also likely to be without starting center Clint Capela. As expected, Capela missed Saturday’s game with a heel contusion.

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However, reserve seven-footer Isaiah Hartenstein stepped up against the Nets in a big way with nine points and 13 rebounds in 24 minutes, helping Houston win the rebounding battle against Brooklyn by a 54-47 margin. That’s no small feat, considering the Nets have a front line led by a pair of 6-foot-11 big men in Jarrett Allen and DeAndre Jordan.

The Rockets may need a similar effort from Hartenstein on Sunday against Derrick Favors and the Pelicans, who have now won four of their last five games. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. Central.

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But even without Westbrook and Capela, Houston will still have the NBA’s 2018 MVP and current scoring leader in Harden.

In many games, that by itself gives the Rockets a good chance.