Rockets snap 4-game losing streak behind Harden's 45 points
The Houston Rockets needed a win in the worst way and the basketball gods delivered Wednesday with a morale-preserving victory for a team reeling from a string of recent losses and the ousting of its head coach.
The Rockets defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 108-103, and the timing couldn't have been better, considering the black cloud hovering over the troubled franchise.
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The same day Rockets brass fired Kevin McHale, J.B. Bickerstaff went from assistant coach to interim head coach in a matter of hours, and was immediately tasked with the responsibility of leading his team to its first win in five attempts.
Houston's first victory since Nov. 7 did not come easily, though, as the Rockets trailed the Blazers 69-52 with under three minutes to go in the third quarter and by as many as 14 in the fourth.
Damian Lillard contributed solid, albeit somewhat inefficient numbers - 23 points (6-of-19 from the field) along with three rebounds, two assists, and two steals - while C.J. McCollum, Al-Farouq Aminu, and Allen Crabbe chipped in with double-digit scoring outputs, as well.
For Houston, James Harden unearthed the 2014-15 version of himself, exploding for 45 points (11-for-29), eight boards, 11 assists, five steals, and one block.
Although many of his teammates struggled to get going - Dwight Howard scored only seven points despite grabbing 19 boards, and the demoted Ty Lawson could only muster two points in 20 minutes - Corey Brewer played the role of savior on this night with this game-tying heave, pushing the contest to overtime.
The Rockets outscored the Blazers 9-4 in the extra period, improving their record to 5-7.
Conversely, Portland lost its seventh game in a row, and its record now stands at 4-9.