Just outside of his hometown at the NBA “bubble” near Orlando, Rockets guard Austin Rivers scored a career-high 41 points off the bench in Sunday’s 129-112 victory (box score) over Sacramento. The win clinched the Southwest Division title for Houston.
Rivers connected on 14-of-20 shots (70% FG) from the field, including 6-of-11 (54.5%) on 3-pointers. The 27-year-old also had six rebounds and four assists, and his energy helped flip an early 13-point lead for the Kings (29-41) into an eventual rout by the Rockets (44-25).
“I play with the best scorer in the NBA, and I play with another one of the best scorers in the NBA,” Rivers said postgame, referring to All-Star teammates James Harden and Russell Westbrook.
“You’ve got to play a role and buy in, and that’s what winning basketball is,” Rivers added. “But make no mistake, I know I can score the ball.”
Sparked by Rivers off the bench, Houston overwhelmed Sacramento on both offense and defense with a dominant 70-35 stretch over the second and third quarters to take control of Sunday’s game.
As usual, Harden also played very well for the Rockets with 32 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists, while Ben McLemore scored 20 points (6-of-14 on 3-pointers, or 42.9%) as a fill-in starter for Westbrook, who was out for a second straight game with a right quad contusion. Robert Covington scored 12 points and grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds.
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Native Houstonian De’Aaron Fox had 26 points (52.9% FG) and nine assists for the Kings, who were eliminated from playoff contention.
The Southwest Division title ensures the Rockets cannot fall below No. 6 in the race for Western Conference playoff seeding. Houston returns to action on Tuesday afternoon vs. San Antonio, with eyes on clinching an even higher spot in the final standings. Tip-off between the Rockets and Spurs is set for 1:00 p.m. Central, with a national broadcast on NBA TV and regional on AT&T SportsNet Southwest.
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