Rockets top the Thunder 113-109

Posted: December 25, 2018 -- 10:45 p.m.

HOUSTON, TX (Toyota Center) -- The Houston Rockets moved three games above .500 for the first time this season with a solid 113-109 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder Christmas afternoon.

James Harden scored a game-high 41 points to extend his streak of scoring 30 or more points to seven consecutive games -- including 35 or more in the last five games. The last player to score 30+ points in at least seven consecutive games was Russell Westbrook with an eight-game span from November 13 to November 25, 2016. The last time a player scored 35 or more points in five straight games was Carmelo Anthony over a six-game span from April 2 to April 11, 2013.

"James (Harden) like I said, is up to another level that I don't know maybe he's been there before," Mike D'Antoni, Rockets Head Coach said after the game. "It's hard to tell once he gets to that altitude; but, he's playing great."

Houston won despite trailing by as many as 11 points in the second quarter. It is the third time the Rockets have won a game in which they trailed by double-digits this season (15 vs. Portland on December 11 and 14 at Brooklyn on November 2).

Houston (18-15) trailed Oklahoma City (21-12) 60-52 at halftime and 88-86 after three quarters.

Newly signed guard Austin Rivers sank two corner three-point shots in the final 3:52 of the ball game. Rivers scored 8 of his 10 points in the final quarter. In addition to scoring, Rivers did a good job defending Russell Westbrook.

"I'm just very thankful man, just to have this opportunity," Rivers said in the locker room after the game. "Everybody here has welcomed me; so, it's been a very easy transition. My whole focus is just to play hard and just to try to help them in any way I can. They know what I do well; and, I know what I do well: come out there every night and just compete. It's just really nice to be on a big-time team like this, it's just fun. This is fun basketball. When you see the environment out there, that's the environment I used to play a couple years ago with that Clips (Los Angeles Clippers) team we had. Just every game is a big game. There are TNT games, ESPN games, Christmas games, it's just very fun to be here; so, I'm very thankful."

Harden said he told Rivers to be aggressive.

"Yeah, I loved it man," Harden said of Rivers performance Tuesday. "I had to keep telling him to be aggressive. It was his first game. He kind of didn't want to handle the ball and take on the responsibility of what he's here for. He's been doing it for a long time. He made some timely shots and big plays; some great defense; and then fits in well with what we're doing."

Clint Capela snared 23 rebounds to help the Rockets win the rebounding battle 54-52. Capela also had 23 rebounds in Houston's last game; therefore, he's the first Rockets player to have back-to-back 20 plus rebound games since Charles Barkley (November 2 and November 4, 1996).

"I knew from the last time we played them (Oklahoma City Thunder); and, every time we play them, we talk about rebounding," Capela said. "So, I knew that tonight, I had to make a statement. I just told them I had to make a statement that tonight that we are going to win that rebound battle."

Capela scored 16 points to pair with his 23 rebounds. Eric Gordon scored 17; and, P.J. Tucker scored 11.

Tucker has scored in double-figures in five of the past six games (12.0 ppg on 51.9% FGs) after doing so three times over the previous 14 games (6.3 ppg on 37.5% FGs). The Rockets have won six of the past seven games in which Tucker has scored 10 or more points.

"I just love the way we're playing right now," Gordon commented. "Because these are the type of games – well a lot of people probably don't think we're going to win a lot of these games, because we're shorthanded sometimes. But, these are the games we win. A lot of grind it out games. We're just making the right plays, offensively and defensively; so, it's been great – how we've been playing."

The Rockets have won seven of their past eight games and also improve to 7-0 at home this month.

NOTES:

James Harden's 41 points on Christmas Day breaks the franchise record for the most points on Christmas Day (Hakeem Olajuwon with 30 at Orlando in 1995).

NEXT

The Rockets' next game is Thursday, December 27, against the Boston Celtics, on TNT. Tip is set for 7 p.m.

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