HOUSTON _ James Harden was very quiet in the second half of the Houston Rockets' game against the Orlando Magic at Toyota Center on Sunday night. After scoring 26 points in the first half, Harden made just two free throws in the third quarter.
To that point, Orlando had enjoyed the advantage throughout the game, leading from the start and building as much as a 16-point lead on the Rockets.
Then Harden woke up.
The All-Star guard scored eight of the Rockets' final nine points as Houston rallied to knock off the Magic, 103-98.
Harden finished with 40 points and ruined a pretty good overall game for the traveling Magic. Orlando's captains had taken the blame for Friday's close loss against the Washington Wizards and they were determined on Sunday. Captains Aaron Gordon, Nikola Vucevic and Evan Fournier led the Magic with 23, 19 and 18 points, respectively, and Terrence Ross added 15, but Orlando lost yet another close game.
Vucevic had controlled the paint on offense early, scoring 17 points in the first half, but he too went quiet in the second half, scoring just two points as the Rockets collapsed on the pick-and roll offense.
Magic coach Steve Clifford talked Saturday after practice about how the Magic have to start learning how to win close games.
They're still learning.
The Magic came out on a roll and grabbed a 16-point lead early in the game. Vucevic had 11 early points as Orlando built a 34-18 advantage after the first quarter during which the Magic shot 51.9 percent from the floor, hitting 14 of their first 27 field goals, including 3-of-7 3-pointers.
Houston couldn't get much but Harden going early and he scored 15 of the Rockets' first 18 points. The Rockets warmed up a bit in the second quarter and got within four points of the Magic, but Orlando withstood the rally and still led the game 61-53 at halftime.
