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 Guard James Harden scored 35 points and guard/forward Trevor
Ariza added 24 as the Rockets beat the Philadelphia 76ers 104-93
Monday night.
"Four-and-0's better than 0-4," Houston coach Kevin McHale said.
"We're not a finished product by any stretch of the imagination."
The Rockets face the Miami Heat, the defending Eastern Conference
champion, on Tuesday, then host the defending NBA champs, the San
Antonio Spurs, on Thursday.
Against the Sixers, who are 0-4 for the first time since 2010-11,
Houston was good enough.
"We need all these games," Rockets center Dwight Howard said. "We're
glad we got this win tonight. We didn't want to overlook these guys
and think about Miami and San Antonio. ... It's a business trip --
one game at a time."
Isaiah Canaan, starting for injured guard Patrick Beverley, added 13
points. Howard contributed 11 points, 14 rebounds and four blocked
shots for the Rockets, who last opened a season with four
consecutive victories in 1996-97 en route to a 6-0 start.
 The Rockets countered 22 turnovers by outrebounding Philadelphia
47-31 and converting 13 offensive boards into 20 second-chance
points, 14 more than the Sixers' total.
Houston, which began the night leading the league in 3-point
percentage, nailed 16 of 34 from the arc (47.1 percent). Ariza went
6-for-9 on 3-point attempts, while Harden was 4-for-8.
Canaan, who went 3-for-6 from long distance, nailed 3-pointers on
consecutive possessions during a 12-2 flurry late in the game, when
Houston extended a 90-84 lead to 102-86. Harden and Ariza also had
3-pointers in that stretch.
"We just found a way to win," Harden said. "Every night's not going
to be perfect. Guys hit big shots and just kept grinding. ... The
thing about our team, we don't take any team for granted. We came
out with energy. They just made a lot of big shots tonight."
Guard Tony Wroten notched 20 points to pace the Sixers. Forward
Brandon Davies added 13 points, and rookie center Nerlens Noel had
10 points, six steals and five assists but managed just a single
rebound.
Sixers coach Brett Brown said Noel "deserves a lot of praise" for
standing toe to toe with Howard.
Brown added, "I was thrilled as a team we shot more free throws than
James."
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The Sixers went 16-for-23 at the foul line, while Harden was
17-for-18.
Harden, who also had nine rebounds and five assists, scored 13
points in the third quarter, four in a 12-0 run early in the period
that gave the Rockets the lead for good at 67-56.
Ariza scored 14 points and made all four of his 3-point attempts in
the first quarter, a period that saw the Rockets shoot 7-for-10 from
the arc en route to a 32-19 lead.
The Sixers chipped away in the second quarter. Philadelphia went
5-for-7 on 3-pointers to creep ahead on three occasions, the last
time at 54-53 with 13.2 seconds left in the half after rookie
guard/forward K.J. McDaniels nailed his second trey in as many
possessions.
Harden's acrobatic layup with one second left in the half put the
Rockets back in front, 55-54.
After Philadelphia led 56-55 early in the third quarter, Houston
forced five consecutive turnovers in its 12-0 run, a surge that
featured four points apiece by Harden and Canaan.
Wroten scored nine in the third quarter for the Sixers, who were
within 79-74 heading into the fourth.
NOTES: According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Sixers C Nerlens Noel
became the first rookie to start at his position and record at least
10 points, six steals and five assists in a game since Phoenix's
Alvan Adams had 25 points, six steals and five assists against New
Orleans on Feb. 14, 1976. ... Houston G Patrick Beverley missed the
game due to a strained left hamstring. ... Philadelphia G Michael
Carter-Williams, who has yet to play this season after undergoing
shoulder surgery in May, will scrimmage for the first time Thursday.
... Philadelphia coach Brett Brown said the goal for Noel, 2-for-6
at the foul line in the team's first four games, is to make 60
percent of his free throws this season. "I think it's still
attainable," Brown said. "The game is fast to him right now. He's
just trying to take it all in. His whole game has to be borne out of
energy. That's what he is now. And when he's not that, he hurts us,
and he has to sit."
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