Two weeks ago in Houston, the Kings beat the Rockets by one point on Nemanja Bjelica’s buzzer-beating three-pointer from over 30 feet away.
On Monday, the Rockets (21-9) got their revenge in Sacramento.
Led by efficient nights of 34 points on 10-of-19 shooting (52.6%) from James Harden and 28 points on 10-of-22 shooting (45.5%) by Russell Westbrook, the Rockets built a big lead Monday night before surviving a valiant comeback attempt by the home team in the fourth quarter to escape with a 113-104 victory (box score).
Westbrook also collected seven rebounds and six assists in his 40 minutes, including a team-leading figure of +19 in the plus/minus. Harden added five rebounds, five assists, and two steals in his 38 minutes.
It’s the fourth consecutive win for the Rockets and the team’s 10th in 13 games, keeping them at No. 3 in the Western Conference standings and only a half-game back of Denver (21-8) for the No. 2 spot.
The Rockets led by as many as 25 points in the game and by 19 heading to the fourth quarter, but they had to withstand a furious rally by the Kings (12-18) in the final minutes. After the Rockets scored seconds into the fourth to push the margin to 100-79, the hosts went on a 13-0 run to give themselves a chance down the stretch.
Sacramento cut the deficit to six points with under five minutes left, but the Rockets effectively put the game away from there with a five-point burst in under 10 seconds. Clint Capela drew a foul and made two free throws, and after the Kings threw away the ensuing inbounds pass, Westbrook drilled a three-pointer to push the lead back to double digits.
Westbrook, who entered the game shooting just 23.7% on three-pointers this season, made 3-of-4 long-range shots (75%) on the night.
Meanwhile, Capela — who was added to the team’s injury report before the game with a bruised heel — played through the pain and gave the Rockets a much-needed interior presence with 15 points, 14 rebounds, and two blocks in a game-high 41 minutes.
Houston’s starting forwards also made key contributions to the victory. Danuel House Jr. had a big night with 14 points on 4-of-8 shooting (50%) from three-point range, representing his highest point total since scoring 16 nine games ago in Toronto. Usual defensive ace P.J. Tucker added 11 rebounds, four assists, and three steals.
The Kings were led by 31 points from promising third-year guard De’Aaron Fox. But his five missed free throws in the fourth quarter proved critical, as the Rockets held on despite scoring just 16 points in the period and seemingly running on fumes due to fatigue.
The Rockets will look to finish up their current four-game West Coast road trip at a perfect 4-0 with an afternoon matchup on Christmas Day against the Golden State Warriors (6-24). The game, which starts at 4 p.m. Central time, will be nationally televised on ABC.
