James Harden registered 21 points, 12 assists and 8 rebounds to help the Houston Rockets withstand another triple-double performance by Russell Westbrook, beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 102-99 on Friday in Oklahoma City.
Key Point of the Match:
Westbrook, who was defending all night by Patrick Beverly, would have trimmed the Rockets' lead by one point, with few minutes left on the clock, but missed that crucial fade-away jumper. Westbrook missed another three-point attempt, allowing Trevor Ariza to get the rebound and foul shots with 5.8 seconds left.
Players of the Match:
Westbrook has reached Michael Jordan territory after recording 27 points (on 8-for-25 shooting), 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his seventh straight triple-double game. James Harden, his former OKC Thunder teammate, almost notched a triple-double with 21 points, 12 assists and 9 rebounds in 37 minutes of play.
Aftermath:
The Rockets may have not snapped Westbrook's triple-double run but they nevertheless the Thunder's six-game winning streak. OKC is still on top of the Northwest Division with a 14-9 slate and will face the Boston Celtics on Monday. On the other hand, Houston improved their record to 16-7 and 10-5 on the road. They will take on the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.
Full-Game Highlights: