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 Howard had 19 points and 13 rebounds Wednesday in his second time
returning to Orlando since forcing a trade to the Los Angeles Lakers
in 2012, sinking a franchise once built around him, leaving a bitter
fan base behind.
Guard James Harden led everyone with 31 points in the 101-89 victory
over the Magic, leaving the Rockets with the best record (21-6) in
the NBA since Jan. 1 and determined to secure home-court advantage
in the first round of the playoffs.
The Magic (19-44) are one of the worst teams in the league.
"I think last year was a little more emotional coming back to
Orlando. I understand how people feel," he said. "But this year, I
just wanted to come in and get a good win. We're moving in the right
direction now. This team is reading each other better, improving as
we grow. I'm looking forward to the rest of season and trying to get
55 wins. That's the goal."
The Rockets (42-19) started slowly after an emotional victory
Tuesday over the Miami Heat, but they dominated in the second half
when Harden and Howard came alive. Harden had 25 points after
intermission.
"We've come a long way in the past couple week," Harden said. "It's
chemistry, putting a new team together and taking the time to grow.
We've improved to the point where we're tough to beat."
Rockets forward Chandler Parsons had 19 points, seven assists and
six rebounds. Forward Terrence Jones had 17 points and 11 rebounds.
The Rockets held a 49-34 rebound advantage. They outscored the Magic
60-41 in the second half.
"It's night and day around here now from earlier this season,"
Parsons said. "With so much talent here — Dwight coming in new — people thought it would happen overnight, but it doesn't work like
that. It's a process, and we're playing really well right now. We're
just scratching the surface of what we can become. Our goals are
high."
The Magic were led by guard Arron Afflalo, who had 18 points in his
first game back after missing five with a sprained ankle. Center
Nikola Vucevic had 15 points and 10 rebounds.
The Magic closed the deficit to 79-76 early in the fourth quarter
before the Rockets pulled away, doing as they pleased down the
stretch.
"Overall, I thought we did a good job in the first half," Magic
coach Jacque Vaughn said. "But it's tough (against Howard and
Harden). That's a good basketball team. Give them credit."
The Rockets dominated the third quarter, turning a seven-point
halftime deficit into a 75-65 lead going into the fourth. Harden and
Howard sparked the surge with 14 and 11 points, respectively, in the
period.
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The Rockets opened the decisive third quarter with an 8-0 run, then
closed it by scoring the last 11 points. The Magic never seriously
challenged after intermission.
The Magic led 48-41 at halftime, getting 12 points from Maurice
Harkless and 10 each from Vucevic and Afflalo. They led by as many
14 points early in the second period.
Parsons scored 15 points in the second quarter, sparking the start
of a comeback that erased much of the Magic's early lead.
Howard started slowly, committing three turnovers in the first five
minutes. He had seven points, five rebounds and four turnovers in
the first half. He looked bothered by what he was hearing in the
stands.
"The great thing about sports is that you can pay for a ticket and
cheer and boo for whoever you want," Vaughn said. "Some people are
liked more than others. Our fans are passionate, and they have group
in our locker room that wants to be here."
NOTES: As part of their 25th anniversary celebration, the Magic
showed a video tribute to Rockets C Dwight Howard, who forced a
trade from Orlando in 2012 and prompted the fall of the franchise.
The crowd reaction was mixed but mostly featured boos. Through much
of the first period, he was booed each time he touched the ball.
"Hopefully, the fans can forgive me for how the situation ended,"
Howard said before the game. ... Houston F Chandler Parsons,
longtime Magic fan who played high school basketball in Central
Florida, said before the game if he were in the crowd this night, he
would boo Howard, too. ... G Arron Afflalo, the Magic' leading
scorer, returned after a five-game absence with an ankle injury.
Orlando rookie G Victor Oladipo (sore left ankle) missed his first
game of the season. PG Jameer Nelson (sore left calf) sat out his
second consecutive game. ... Entering the game, the Rockets had won
19 consecutive games in which they scored at least 100 points, the
longest active streak in the NBA.opening period when they jumped to
a 32-19 lead.
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