James Harden’s incredible heroics lift Rockets over Warriors in overtime

[Anonymous]

The hottest player in the NBA would not be stopped by the Warriors' defense or a 20-point deficit. He was not going to be defeated at all. Harden nailed his off-balance 3-pointer from 29 feet with one second left in overtime, lifting the Rockets past the Warriors 135-134 and providing the signature moment for his record-breaking run.

Harden completed his fifth consecutive 40-point game and his record ninth straight with at least 35 points and five assists, with 44 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds. Clint Capela added a career-high 29 points with 21 rebounds as the Rockets surged in the final minutes of regulation and again in overtime for the win.

Stephen Curry, who had put the Warriors in front with 22.2 seconds remaining, had 35 points. Kevin Durant added 26, but he missed his off-balance 3 at the buzzer.

The Rockets had shown few signs that they had the comeback in them, trailing by 20 early in the second half with the Warriors' offense flying and the Rockets misfiring badly. The Rockets had made just 6 of 23 3-pointers in the first half, but when they found their shooting touch, pouring in eight 3s in the third quarter on 13 attempts, they charged through a 39-point quarter to cut the Warriors' lead to 98-92.

Harden had led the Rockets' run back into the game, but even when he sat to start the fourth quarter, the Rockets kept scoring, with Gerald Green and Brandon Knight putting in 3s to cut the lead to one. Even when the Warriors began scoring, the Rockets answered, with Harden finding Capela with a lob that brought the Rockets within one with 6:48 left.

They struggled, however, to get over the hump. Still down just one after a Harden jumper with 5:37 left, they had three good looks at 3s for the lead and missed them all. Klay Thompson scored for the Warriors, before Harden found Capela inside, reducing the Warriors' lead to 114-113 with 3:48 left, as the Warriors called time to get Curry and Draymond Green back on the floor.

The Rockets again had shots for the lead after P.J. Tucker stripped Durant and Capela blocked his dunk attempt. Green missed a 3 and Harden came up empty on a drive before Durant drove to a 3-point play and a four-point lead.

The Rockets missed two more 3s, but they were not done yet. Facing a six-point deficit with 1:25 left, Capela finished a three-point play, Harden hit a 3 from 30 feet, and the Rockets had one final possession in regulation to shoot for the win. Harden ran the shot clock down to its final ticks before launching over Thompson from 32 feet. When he missed, the Rockets and Warriors were in overtime, just as they had been when last season began.

The Warriors had spent much of the game moving the ball as crisply as ever, getting good looks and showing off the advantage of having four All-Stars firing away instead of the Rockets' one.

Curry and Green made just one field goal apiece in the first quarter, but Durant and Thompson were already rolling. Thompson, who missed all five of his 3s in the first meeting of the teams, made 3-of-5 in the first half, scoring 19 points in 18 minutes. Durant beat the buzzer with a breakaway off a Harden turnover, giving him 13 in the half and the Warriors a 17-point lead.

The Warriors had made 63.6 percent of their attempts, 46.7 percent of their 3s. But the Rockets fell short even in matching the Golden State energy on both ends and on the boards, keys to their turnaround in the previous 11 games.

Even when the Rockets did effectively move the ball to open 3s, they made just 6 of 23 attempts, one fewer than the Warriors had knocked down in just 15 attempts. The Rockets' bench combined to make 3 of 9 first-half shots, scoring just seven points.

All that left the Rockets forced to rely on Harden to carry them again, but he struggled not only to catch a wave of hot shooting to offer a demonstration of how he built his recent run, but to free himself from the Warriors' defense, getting few open looks.

That has seemed to be a matter of time for weeks. Thursday, however, appeared headed for the exception and the end of Harden's scoring streaks. He kick-started the Rockets' offense with his passing, then found his 3-point touch. When he got rolling again, the Rockets made their move.

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