Harden's relentless Rockets muffle Thunder

HOUSTON - James Harden was Houston's fourth-leading scorer on Sunday against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

However, it was clear to everyone the captain was the key to the Rockets' victory.

Lou Williams scored 31 points off the bench, Harden finished with 22 points and 12 assists, and the Rockets never trailed while cruising to a 137-125 victory.

"He could've easily gotten 40 points and he could've just kept on going," coach Mike D'Antoni said of Harden. "But he knew these guys were going and threw the ball their way. He just plays the game the way it should be played."

Russell Westbrook had 39 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds for his second straight triple-double and 36th this season, but Harden led the Rockets to a 25-point bulge through three quarters in the matchup between top MVP candidates.

"The hit a lot of shots, man," Westbrook said. "They got hot and especially with a team like that, they get hot and it can be trouble."

Trevor Ariza and Eric Gordon added 24 points apiece for the Rockets, whose lead was trimmed to eight on a 3-pointer by Westbrook with about 90 seconds left. The Rockets scored four quick points after that to secure the victory.

Harden certainly loves to score, but had plenty of fun watching so many other guys get in on the action.

"Especially when you've got several guys knocking down shots and making plays," he said. "Trevor did a really good job on both ends and obviously Lou and Eric. Pat (Beverley) didn't score the ball but he did so many other things that won't show up on the stat sheet but got us a victory."

Harden left late in the game after crashing into the court and appearing to injure his left wrist. It was wrapped after the game, but he said he was OK.

Houston jumped out to a 9-0 lead and was up by at least 20 for most of the game. It was a stark change from the first three games between these teams this season, which were decided by a combined seven points.

Williams made 11 of 15 shots and tied a career-high by making seven of eight 3-pointers. He didn't miss a shot until his layup was blocked by Jerami Grant early in the fourth quarter.

Houston won its fourth straight overall and has won nine of their past 12 games against the Thunder.

The Rockets shot 71 percent in the first half, and Harden made a layup before grabbing a rebound and hitting a 3-pointer at the buzzer to extend Houston's lead to 113-88 entering the fourth quarter.

The Thunder chipped away with a 12-4 run midway through the fourth to get within 126-114 with 4 minutes left. Williams hit a 3-pointer after that to slow down the Thunder the team's late run.

Houston had built a 79-59 lead by halftime thanks in part to nearly perfect 3-point shooting by Ariza and Williams. Ariza made four of five attempts and had 16 points at the break.

Houston's 79 points were the most the team has scored in a half this season.

Anderson out

Houston's Ryan Anderson will miss about two weeks after spraining his right ankle on Friday night against the New Orleans Pelicans. D'Antoni hopes Anderson will recover in time to play the last couple of regular-season games and be at full strength for the start of the playoffs.

On his relationship with Harden, Westbrook said: "It's a blessing to have people you grew up with in the NBA.

"It's something you don't take for granted and friendships are something I don't take for granted. James is a good friend of mine."

Associated Press