HOUSTON (AP) – James Harden had a triple-double of 38 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds to outduel fellow MVP contender LeBron James and lead the Houston Rockets to a 117-112 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday night.
The Rockets were up by six when Nene made a layup before intercepting a bad pass by James. Patrick Beverley made a 3-pointer on the other end to push the lead to 116-107 with less than two minutes left.
Kyrie Irving hit a 3-pointer with less than a minute to go and added two free throws after that to get the Cavaliers within four. But then Harden added a free throw to end Cleveland’s run and secure the victory.
It was the 16th triple-double this season for Harden and his 31st game with at least 30 points.
James had 30 points for the Cavaliers, who lost for the fourth time in five games.