Harden scores 40 in Rockets' win over Raptors

[March 07, 2016]  TORONTO -- After losing in Chicago on Saturday night, the Houston Rockets didn't arrive at their Toronto hotel until 3 a.m. on Sunday morning. However, Houston, led by James Harden, was able to erase a third-quarter deficit and defeat the Raptors 113-107.

Rockets coach J.B. Bickerstaff called the effort from his team gutsy.

"They dug down. We didn't give in. Even when we were struggling, we still fought, we were still competing, I thought," Bickerstaff said. "The Raptors are a good team. They got guys that can score the ball (and) they're good defensively. The second half was the key.

"After giving up two 30-point first quarter (and) second quarter, the third and fourth quarter, we held them to low 20s. That's a sign of who we can be."

Harden, who entered Sunday's game averaging 26.3 points per game in four career visits to Toronto, his highest scoring average of any opposing venue, had 20 of his 40 points in the fourth quarter as the Rockets erased an 85-77, third-quarter deficit to avoid a second consecutive loss.

With the win, the Rockets (31-32) snapped an eight-game losing streak in Toronto.

"I think we like that. I think we like being down big and then trying to come back. We've got to fix that," Harden said. "I just think we locked in defensively, as long as we can do that, we played with a small lineup tonight, as long as we can do that, communicate our defense and offensively move... we'll put ourselves in a position to win every game."

Corey Brewer added 23 points off the bench while Dwight Howard chipped in 21 points and 11 rebounds. Howard's night ended with 2:08 remaining in the fourth quarter when he picked up his sixth personal foul, much to the delight of the 19,800 in attendance

Houston holds a 1 1/2-game lead over the Utah Jazz for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

The loss snapped the Raptors' franchise-best 12-game home winning streak.

"That's been our weakness all year. I've said that a million times," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "We've luckily won some of these games, but I've always said it's going to come back and bite us."

Toronto was led by 21 points from Luis Scola. DeMar DeRozan added 19 points and seven assists while Kyle Lowry had 17 points and nine assists.

"We just have to understand that teams are going to make a run," said DeRozan. "They are going to turn it up offensively and be super aggressive. We have to do the same thing defensively and understand that's really the time that we have to get critical stops."

After scoring just three points on 1-of-4 shooting in the first half, DeRozan turned it on in the third quarter as the Raptors led 85-77 after three periods.

Harden responded with 10 points for the Rockets, but found himself in foul trouble early in the second half, picking up his fourth personal foul just four minutes into the third quarter.

"Obviously it was important for him to be on the floor. We knew the situation in the game and he's intelligent enough defensively to keep himself in the right positions early," Bickerstaff said of leaving Harden in the game. "One of the things he didn't do is he didn't give in defensively. He continued to battle."

Toronto led by 10 at 61-51 at halftime on the strength of 16 points from Scola. The Raptors' forward was 7-of-10 from the field and 2-for-3 from 3-point range in the first half.

Howard paced the visitors with 17 points and six rebounds through two quarters. Harden had 10.

Scola led the Raptors with 11 points as Toronto led 30-26 after one period. DeRozan and Lowry combined to go 0-for-3 from the field and had just one point between them.

NOTES: Raptors F James Johnson returned to the starting lineup in place of G Norman Powell. ... Toronto averaged 109.5 points in its past six games entering Sunday. ... Only San Antonio (23-3) and Golden State (22-3) have better records than Toronto (20-4) since Jan. 6. ... Rockets G James Harden began the day second in the NBA with an average of 28.8 points per game on the season, but that figure was up to 36 per game in his past six. ... Houston F Terrence Jones (illness) was inactive for a second consecutive game. ... Houston continues its five-game road trip Wednesday in Philadelphia. Toronto entertains the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday as it continues a seven-game homestand.

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