Tag: D’Angelo Russell

‘I’m back’: James Harden scores game-high 37 as Rockets snap skid

James Harden scored a game-high 37 and made 50% of his 3-pointers as both the former MVP and the Rockets broke out of their recent funk.

James Harden and Russell Westbrook combined for 64 points on 61.1% shooting as the Houston Rockets snapped a four-game losing streak with a 117-111 home win (box score) over Minnesota on Tuesday night.

The 2020 All-Star guards and former MVPs also had seven assists apiece as Houston overcame a 10-point deficit early in the second half to finally pull away from the struggling Timberwolves (19-45).

The win snaps a four-game losing streak for the Rockets (40-24), who are now tied with Oklahoma City for the No. 5 spot in the Western Conference and a game back of Utah for the No. 4 seed.

D’Angelo Russell led Minnesota with 28 points, while reserve guard Eric Gordon returned from injury for the Rockets and chipped in with 16 critical points in the second half, including two late 3-pointers.

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Tuesday’s win was a big turnaround for Harden in particular, who scored a game-high 37 points with 5-of-10 shooting (50.0%) on 3-pointers. On one of those treys in the fourth quarter, Harden slapped his head with both hands and appeared to mouth the words: “I’m back.”

Over his prior five games (four losses), the NBA’s leading scorer had been held well below his 2019-20 season averages at 25.0 points per game on 31.7% shooting, and only 20.3% on 3-pointers.

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On defense, the Rockets held Minnesota to just 45 points combined over the second and third quarters, which helped turn the game and flipped what had been a double-digit deficit for the home team.

Westbrook complemented Harden’s bounce-back performance with 27 points of his own on 11-of-17 shooting (64.7%), including several emphatic dunks as Houston finally took over in the second half.

The Rockets await a much tougher opponent in their next game, which looms Thursday night in Los Angeles against the top-seeded Lakers (49-14). Tipoff is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. Central from Staples Center, with the showdown set for a national television broadcast on TNT.

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