Rockets win fifth straight as James Harden bests Kawhi Leonard late

James Harden had 47 points and scored 17 in the game’s final six minutes, leading to a Rockets win over Kawhi Leonard’s Clippers in Houston.

James Harden took over Wednesday’s fourth quarter in Houston, scoring 17 points in the final six minutes as the Rockets overcame a four-point deficit with under six minutes left to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers, 102-93. Houston closed the game on a 22-9 run.

For the game, Harden scored 47 points on 12-of-26 shooting, led by a 7-of-13 (53.8%) showing on three-pointers. The 30-year-old guard also had seven assists, six rebounds, and three steals, with the last coming against Clippers superstar and reigning NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) Kawhi Leonard to seal the win in the final minute.

Clippers guard Pat Beverley, long known as one of the NBA’s toughest isolation defenders, couldn’t stay on the floor long enough to try and slow Harden. Beverley fouled out in just 27 minutes, and longtime rival Russell Westbrook got in a postgame dig at Beverley’s expense after Harden’s 47-point outburst versus a former teammate.

Leonard had 26 points and 12 rebounds, but thanks in large part to strong defense from Houston forward P.J. Tucker, it took him 24 shots to get those 26 points. That made for a much less efficient night in comparison to Harden, who also had more clutch plays late.

Wednesday’s victory was the fifth straight for the Rockets (8-3), and it drops Leonard’s Clippers (7-4) a game behind Houston in the current Western Conference standings. Harden is averaging an astonishing 41.6 points per game during the five-game winning streak, raising his 2019-20 season average to an NBA-leading 38.2 per game.

The league’s reigning scoring champion led the way, but Harden certainly had plenty of help (box score) in the statement win over another West contender. Other highlights included 17 points from Westbrook, a third consecutive 20-rebound game from center Clint Capela, and strong perimeter defense by Tucker and Austin Rivers.

The Clippers’ total of 93 points was the fewest allowed by Houston this season. Opponents have not exceeded 100 in three games of the current five-game winning streak, and the Rockets have the NBA’s top-rated defense in that stretch.

In a potentially ominous development for the defense, Capela left Wednesday’s game in the fourth quarter after his head was hit in a collision with Clippers big man JaMychal Green. Team officials said postgame that they did not know whether Capela had suffered a concussion. If he did, that could make for a challenging back-to-back on Friday at home versus Indiana and Saturday at Minnesota.

Capela’s condition and status for those games will likely be updated at Thursday afternoon’s team practice in Houston.

Tyson Chandler finished Wednesday’s game in Capela’s absence, posting an impressive nine rebounds in 16 minutes and punctuating the victory in the final minute with a reverse jam on a lob — naturally, from Harden after stealing the ball from Leonard.

At 37 years old and in his 19th NBA season, however, Chandler is not a likely candidate for an expanded role if Capela misses time moving forward. The Rockets would likely need to turn to third-year center Isaiah Hartenstein in such a scenario.

Wednesday’s game finished with playoff intensity, and the two rivals won’t have to wait long for the rematch — which comes next Friday, Nov. 22, in Los Angeles. That game could feature a new star duo of Leonard and fellow offseason addition Paul George, who is expected to make his Clippers debut this Thursday in New Orleans.

The Rockets also weren’t close to full strength Wednesday, with wing players Eric Gordon and Danuel House Jr. each out with injuries.

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