HOUSTON (AP) – James Harden had 36 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds to lead the Houston Rockets to their seventh straight win, 122-118 over the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night.
Eric Gordon scored 24 points on 6-for-10 shooting on 3-pointers, and Ryan Anderson added 19.for the Rockets. Houston shot 17 for 43 on 3s, making at least 10 for an NBA-record 24th straight game.
Brook Lopez scored 26 points and Sean Kilpatrick added 17 for the Nets.
Jeremy Lin returned to action for Brooklyn for the ‘first time since Nov. 2 when he suffered a strained left hamstring. Although Lin did not start, he played 20 minutes off the bench, scoring 10 points.
Brooklyn trailed for much of the game until Joe Harris tied it at 118 with a layup with less than 40 seconds remaining.
Gordon gave Houston a two-point lead with a free throw with 11.9 seconds left, and the Rockets came up with a key steal on the ensuing inbound pass. Gordon then made two more from the line and the Rockets held on for the win.
The Rockets improved to 7-0 in December while knocking Brooklyn down to 1-5 in the month. The Nets haven’t won on the road since Nov. 12.
Houston outscored Brooklyn by five in each of the first two quarters to take a 53-43 lead at the half. Brooklyn cut the lead to five to start the fourth quarter.
TIP-INS
Nets: C Justin Hamilton missed his second straight game with migraines. Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said he will be reevaluated in a few days. … The Nets scored 42 points in the third quarter, the team’s most points in a quarter this season. … Until he came up with his only rebound of the game with less than 30 seconds remaining, Lopez was nearly held without a rebound for the first time since March 26, 2011, when he went without a rebound in 31 minutes against Atlanta.
Rockets: Houston allowed 68 points in the paint, a season high for their opponents. … Harden passed Eric “Sleepy” Floyd (2,363 assists) for seventh on the franchise’s all-time assists list. … Trevor Ariza had three steals and two blocks for Houston.
UP NEXT
Nets: Host the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night.
Rockets: Host Sacramento on Wednesday night.