Paul's season-high 37 leads Rockets over Blazers 121-112

By KRISTIE RIEKEN
AP Sports Writer

HOUSTON (AP) -- With James Harden injured, the Houston Rockets are figuring out different ways to make up for the offense the league's leading scorer normally provides.

On Wednesday night, that meant Chris Paul took 29 shots and finished with a season-high 37 points to help the Rockets to a 121-112 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Paul tied his career high for field-goal attempts in a regulation game. He took 33 shots and scored 42 points in a double-overtime game with New Orleans in 2008.

His 37 points were the most by a Rocket besides Harden since Jeremy Lin had 38 against San Antonio on Dec. 10, 2012.

Paul, who made 13 field goals, was asked if he realized he'd come close to taking the most shots in his career.

"I don't know," he said. "It kind of felt like it. Like goodness. I missed a lot, too. That's what I'm mad about."

Portland coach Terry Stotts said Paul was tough to stop.

"He was exceptional," Stotts said. "He really controlled the game, like he can do. His shot-making was as good as I've seen."

Eric Gordon added 30 points as the Rockets withstood a late run to win their second straight.

The Blazers used a big run to cut a 14-point deficit to three with about three minutes left. Houston responded with a 6-2 run, capped by a 3-pointer from Paul, to make it 111-104 about a minute later.

Damian Lillard made a layup on the other end, but Paul cut through three defenders to make an off-balance layup to push the lead to 113-106.

The Blazers couldn't get the ball in after a timeout, Houston got the ball back and Clint Capela added two free throws to secure the victory.

The Rockets won their second straight and improved to 3-2 in five games without Harden, who is out for at least two weeks with a hamstring injury.

Lillard scored 29 after missing the last two games with a strained right calf, and C.J. McCollum added 24 points as the Blazers saw a three-game winning streak snapped.

Paul had 11 assists, seven rebounds and three steals, and Capela added 13 points with eight rebounds.

Gerald Green scored all of Houston's points in a 5-2 run that extended the lead to 103-89 midway through the fourth period. He finished with 12 points and has scored in double digits in seven straight games for the first time since 2015.

"We're having to manufacture points in different ways," Paul said. "Gerald continues to be great and be aggressive. ... James averages 30 and we're just doing it by committee."

Lillard scored the first seven points of an 11-0 spurt that got the Trail Blazers within 103-100 with about 3 1/2 minutes left.

Paul received a technical in that span for arguing about a foul called on P.J. Tucker.

The Rockets led by nine entering the fourth quarter and were up by 11 with about 7 1/2 minutes remaining after Gordon scored four points. He made a layup before missing a shot on the next possession, only to grab it with one hand and finish with a dunk that made it 98-87.

Portland's Ed Davis was called for a flagrant foul late in the third when he hit Tarik Black in the right eye as Black dunked. Black remained on the court for a couple of minutes before being helped to his feet and escorted to the locker room, holding a towel over his right eye. The team said he had an abrasion to his right eye and he'll miss Friday's game.

Paul made the free throw on that play, and Tucker added a layup after that to extend the lead to 84-74.

The Rockets led 55-45 at halftime.

TIP-INS

Trail Blazers: Lillard had eight assists and five rebounds and made 10 of 12 free throws. ... Portland had six blocks, led by Jusuf Nurkic's three.

Rockets: Black tied a season high with 13 points. ... Nene missed his fourth straight game with a bruised right knee. ... Gordon has scored 20 or more points in 21 games this season after doing so in only 19 games last season.

NICE PUTBACK

Gordon's teammates were impressed with his dunk in the fourth quarter. Paul called it "sick."

"I surprise myself sometimes," Gordon said with a laugh. "When I saw it floating in the air, I just went after it."

HE SAID IT

Lillard on being unable to combat Houston's runs: "When you're dealing with a team that shoots 3s as much as them and as well, you can't give them extra possessions and I thought we did that on too many occasions."

UP NEXT

Trail Blazers: Visit New Orleans on Friday.

Rockets: Visit Phoenix on Friday.

Westbrook scores 31, OKC keeps rolling with win over Rockets

By CLIFF BRUNT
Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Oklahoma City is starting to have the look of a contender.

Russell Westbrook had 31 points and 11 assists to help the Thunder stay hot with a 112-107 win over the Houston Rockets on Monday night.

Paul George scored 24 points and Carmelo Anthony added 20 for the Thunder, who won their fifth straight game and their 11th in their past 14. Oklahoma City shot 54.4 percent from the field against the Rockets, who entered the day with the best record in the Western Conference.

The Thunder started 4-7 after acquiring George and Anthony in the offseason, but they've charged back to the center of the West's playoff picture as they've figured out how to distribute the ball among their stars.

"Every night, teams guard us differently," Westbrook said. "Once we figure that out and see how teams are guarding us - find ways to make the game easier for (George and Anthony), and that's my job."

James Harden led the Rockets with 29 points, but he made just 7 of 18 field goals. The league's leading scorer was coming off back-to-back 51-point games.

"Give them credit," Harden said. "They made big-time shots. We had our chances, though. We had several chances, we just couldn't convert and we couldn't get stops when we needed to."

Trevor Ariza and Eric Gordon each scored 20 points and Clint Capela added 19 points and 10 rebounds for Houston, which lost its third straight.

Houston point guard Chris Paul sat out with a groin strain. The Rockets are 15-1 when he plays and 10-6 when he doesn't.

The Thunder held the Rockets below their league-best average of 115.4 points per game. The Rockets made just 12 of 37 3-pointers.

"I thought tonight we made multiple efforts, which we knew we was going to have to do against a fast-paced team like that, a team that likes to move the ball, play fast, put up a lot of shots, put up a lot of 3s," Anthony said. "We knew that we was going to have to scramble tonight, and I thought we did a great job tonight of not getting frustrated when they did make some tough shots, make some 3s."

Westbrook shot 4 for 14 in the first half but made his last two before the break to help the Thunder lead 58-57 at halftime. Harden had 11 points in the first half but made just 1 of 8 shots.

Westbrook broke away for a fast-break dunk to give the Thunder a 65-59 lead early in the third quarter. The Rockets rallied, and the score was tied at 88 heading into the fourth.

Houston had the ball down by three in the final minute. Harden missed a wild 3-pointer while trying but failing to draw a foul, and the Thunder got control in a scramble. Westbrook found Andre Roberson for a layup with 21 seconds left to put the Thunder up 112-107.

Westbrook scored 11 points in just under nine minutes in the fourth quarter.

"I'm coming," he said. "That's what I bring to the table. Once I hit the floor, it's nonstop."

TIP-INS

Rockets: Capela returned to the starting lineup. He had missed the previous two games with a left heel contusion. ... Houston committed just one turnover in the first quarter and 14 overall.

Thunder: Roberson left in the first quarter but returned later in the period with fingers taped together on his left hand. ... C Steven Adams had 12 points and six rebounds in the first quarter and finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds ... George and Anthony had three fouls in the first half. George finished with five and Anthony with four.

QUOTABLE

Anthony played without his shooter arm sleeves early in the game and didn't feel like himself without them.

"That wasn't me out there," he said. "Honestly I don't know who that was out there. I swear, I don't know who that was."

STAT LINES

Westbrook, George and Anthony combined to make 16 of 22 field goals in the second half.

UP NEXT

Rockets: At Boston on Thursday night.

Thunder: Host Toronto on Wednesday night.

Paul, Rockets run past Hornets

HOUSTON -- Earlier in the week, Houston Rockets guard James Harden insisted that backcourt mate Chris Paul assert himself offensively. On Wednesday night, Paul required no such prodding.

Paul ran roughshod with the second unit, and Houston parlayed a run bridging the first and second quarters into a 108-96 victory over the Charlotte Hornets at Toyota Center.

Houston (22-4) extended its winning streak to 11 games as Paul posted a season-high 31 points plus seven rebounds and 11 assists. He finished 5 of 9 on 3-point attempts and 10 of 16 overall, and he was the linchpin of a group that reeled off a 25-0 run to blow the game open.

"I sort of control the pace with that group," Paul said of being paired with the reserves upon re-entering the game late in the first period. "Early in the game, it's both me and James, and we both pick our spots. With that second unit, I dictate the tempo. I just take whatever is there."

Harden added 21 points and eight assists while Eric Gordon scored 17 points off the bench for Houston. The Rockets struggled catching a rhythm before Paul and the bench wrangled control late in the first quarter, turning a 21-18 deficit into a 26-point cushion with a relentless surge.

While Charlotte (10-17) managed just one field goal between a Michael Kidd-Gilchrist dunk at the 3:40 mark of the first quarter and a Kemba Walker pull-up jumper with 8:07 left in the first half, Houston scored 32 points during that stretch, including seven 3-pointers plus a three-point play.

The Rockets' 25-0 run started with a P.J. Tucker jumper with 2:07 left in the first and concluded when Gordon hit the Rockets' third consecutive trey at the 9:52 mark of the second. Paul scored 10 successive points at one point and later sank a 3-pointer before Gordon capped the rally.

"He was extremely aggressive," Harden said of Paul. "We just kind of rode that wave throughout the entire game.

"He's been having to play-make and get his teammates involved for the last several years. Now he doesn't have to do that consistently. He can go out there and get in his bag and shoot threes and show how his handles are crazy."

The Hornets were undone by their bench in the first half. As Houston stretched its lead, Charlotte's reserves totaled two points on 1-for-9 shooting. The Hornets' starters re-entered and managed to cut the deficit to 12 points, but that working deficit proved too large to overcome.

At the half, Charlotte reserve guard Jeremy Lamb and backup forward Frank Kaminsky were a minus-30 and minus-31, respectively, in plus-minus. Lamb finished at minus-32; Kaminsky was minus-38.

"We depend on them and we will continue to depend on those guys," Hornets associate head coach Stephen Silas said of the bench unit. "It was just one of those runs that's disappointing, but we've got to learn from it and move on."

Charlotte's Dwight Howard recorded a season-high-tying 26 points plus 18 rebounds and three blocks against one of his former teams. Kidd-Gilchrist chipped in 18 points and 11 rebounds while Walker added 13 points but on 5-for-15 shooting. Charlotte missed 17 of 21 3-point attempts.

Houston, conversely, was 16 of 35 on 3-pointers before going cold during garbage time in the fourth.

"That's their strength. That's where they're putting a lot of pressure on the league," Hornets forward Marvin Williams said. "They have guys that can shoot from all over the floor, and not just 3-pointers but 2, 3 feet behind the line. And they shoot so many of them.

"They have two great playmakers in James Harden and Chris Paul. They put a ton of pressure on your defense because they do have shooting everywhere."

NOTES: Hornets F Nicolas Batum missed the previous game with a left elbow injury but returned to the starting lineup and finished with nine points and nine rebounds. ... An added benefit to the Rockets' acquisition of G Chris Paul is the lessened workload on G James Harden. Entering Wednesday, Harden was averaging 35.9 minutes per game, his lowest in his six seasons with Houston. He played just 31 minutes against Charlotte. Harden led the NBA in total minutes in 2014-15 (2,981) and 2015-16 (3,125). ... Rockets F Luc Mbah a Moute dislocated his right shoulder after taking an awkward fall following a dunk late in the second quarter. Mbah a Moute is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Thursday morning, with the subsequent results to determine how long he will be sidelined.

DeRozan scores 27 as Raptors beat Rockets 129-113

By KRISTIE REIKEN
Associated Press

HOUSTON (AP) — The Toronto Raptors have struggled to close out games against good teams this season.

They solved that Tuesday night, getting 27 points from DeMar DeRozan while holding off the Rockets 129-113 despite a couple late runs by Houston.

Just as important, DeRozan thinks he knows the key for Toronto holding leads going forward.

“Liking this feeling,” he said. “You’ve got to love this feeling so you don’t got to go out there having too many of them close games that you lost, feeling upset, got to wait until the next game. You’ve got to want to continue to have this feeling and that should work out everything else.”

Toronto led by 12 at halftime and had to repeatedly shut down rally attempts from the Rockets.

“Consistency in this league is a hard thing to grab, and that’s what we’ve got to reach for, grab for each and every night,” Toronto coach Dwane Casey said. “If we could bottle tonight, the energy, the toughness, the togetherness we had tonight, it (would be) special.”

James Harden had 38 points and made 19 of 19 foul shots for the Rockets, who ended a six-game winning streak.

“We weren’t sharp,” Houston coach Mike D’Antoni said. “Sometimes you let down and it’s hard to turn it back on. We tried, we got close in the second half, but we just didn’t have enough.”

Houston scored six straight points, including three free throws from Harden, to make it 108-103 with about 7 1/2 minutes left.

Delon Wright made a free throw for the Raptors soon after that, and OG Anunoby connected for Toronto’s first field goal in more than three minutes on a 3-pointer with 6:25 remaining. After Wright’s layup, Kyle Lowry stole the ball from Harden, and DeRozan finished on the other end with a dunk to make it 116-103.

Harden got Houston going again with a four-point play. The free throw was his 19th, setting a franchise record for most foul shots without a miss in a game.

DeRozan and Serge Ibaka had back-to-back dunks after Harden’s big play to make it 120-107 with about three minutes left and send many of the home fans toward the exits.

Harden had 11 assists and six rebounds. He has scored at least 20 points and had seven or more assists in every game this season.

The Raptors scored the first five points of the second half to make it 81-64 and pushed their lead to 19 points midway through the third on Lowry’s 3-pointer.

Toronto led by 21 before Houston made five straight points, capped by a 3-point play by Tarik Black. That was the start of a nice run for the Rockets, and they used a 9-3 spurt after that to cut the lead to 97-87. Harden made four points in that span, and Eric Gordon capped it with a layup.

Houston led by eight points during the first half, but the Raptors used a 45-point second quarter to take a 76-64 edge into halftime.

TIP-INS

Raptors: Norman Powell sat out after leaving Sunday’s game at Boston with a hip pointer. ... Lowry, a former Rocket, added 19 points and 10 assists. ... Anunoby scored 16 points.

Rockets: Nene missed his second straight game with a sprained right foot. ... Harden received a technical after a shot in the first quarter when he complained about the lack of a foul call. ... Trevor Ariza finished with 20 points and eight rebounds. ... P.J. Tucker got two technical fouls and was ejected in the third quarter.

UP NEXT

Raptors: Visit New Orleans on Wednesday night.

Rockets: Visit Phoenix on Thursday night.

Simmons helps 76ers beat Rockets 115-107

Associated Press

HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Rockets allowed Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons to take jump shots on Monday night and he made them pay.

In Philadelphia’s 115-107 win in Houston, Simmons made 10 of 15 shots, many of them from mid-range, to score a career-high 24 points, adding nine assists and seven rebounds. When asked why he took more jumpers than he had in his first six games, Simmons’ teammate Amir Johnson answered from behind the group of reporters.

“People don’t know he can shoot,” Johnson said. “Buckets.”

Philadelphia head coach Brett Brown said Simmons’ ability to reliably make jump shots will complement his ability to drive or use his length in the paint even more effective.

“I’m really leaving the whole evolution of his jump shot -- when he wants to shoot it, when he feels comfortable shooting it -- with him,” Brown said. “When he feels the confidence to shoot things and people sag off of him, he’s going to shoot it. If he doesn’t, so be it, he’ll go find another way to impact the game. It’s coming.”

Simmons, the 2016 first-overall pick, is shooting 51 percent through his first seven games but has struggled at times outside of the paint and has missed all four 3-point attempts.

“I’m comfortable taking them,” Simmons said of jump shots. “I’ve got to start doing that more often.”

After losing 105-104 on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Eric Gordon in Philadelphia on Oct. 18, the 76ers snapped an eight-game losing streak against the Rockets, winning in Houston for the first time since Feb. 16, 2011.

The Rockets missed nine of their last 10 shots, scoring just four points in the final 3:28 and dropped consecutive games for the first time this season.

Brown credited his team’s defense, particularly on the perimeter, down the stretch for getting late stops against Houston.

“That’s what won us the game,” Brown said. “Because if you blink or you’re a step short on a switch, you get punished badly with this team because of their ability to shoot and to shoot 3s.”

James Harden scored 29 points and Gordon had 25. The Rockets shot just 39.8 percent from the floor. Last season, they were 1-7 when shooting below 40 percent.

“I would never put a lot of stock into that,” Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni said of the poor shooting. “They make them, they don’t make them, whatever. The defense, the ball movement and running the floor is going to be constant, and that requires an effort that I don’t think we’re there yet.”

Harden called the team’s energy “terrible, terrible,” and said the defense allowed too many easy points in the first and third quarters.

“We can’t have those mental lapses on the defensive end, they get momentum,” Harden said. “They start making shots they probably normally don’t make.”

The 76ers led 58-56 at halftime.

TIP-INS

76ers: SG JJ Redick missed his third straight game with lower back tightness. ... PG Markelle Fultz (shoulder) missed his fourth straight game. Fultz is out indefinitely and will be reevaluated in three weeks, the 76ers said Sunday.

Rockets: Nene entered the game questionable with left Achilles soreness but played 10 minutes in the game, getting seven points, three rebounds and a block off the bench. ... After shooting 17-for-35 (48.5 percent) in a three-game road trip, PF Ryan Anderson shot 2-for-9 from beyond the arc.

TRUST THE PROCESS

The 76ers arrived in Houston a day early on Sunday to attend Game 5 of the MLB World Series at Minute Maid Park in downtown Houston, blocks away from the Toyota Center. The players represented both the Dodgers and Astros with a mix of customized jerseys with their names and numbers on the back.

LIKE A BOSS

Houston-native rapper Slim Thug was the celebrity guest shooter for Houston’s new “First Shot,” promotion. The 6-foot-6 rapper swished his free throw before tipoff, ensuring a $5,000 donation from the Rockets to charity. His shot followed banked shots off the glass from both Texans WR DeAndre Hopkins and Blue October lead singer Justin Furstenfeld in the first two games.

EFFICIENT EMBIID

Joel Embiid had 22 points, nine rebounds and five assists with two steals in 25 minutes. Dating back to 1983-84, it is just the third time a player has posted those numbers in 25 minutes of play or less. Pau Gasol did it in 2015 for Chicago and Fat Lever did it in 1990 for Denver.

UP NEXT

76ers: Host the Hawks on Wednesday night.

Rockets: Visit the Knicks on Wednesday night.

Eric Gordon hits 3 at the buzzer to lift Rockets past 76ers

By DAN GELSTON
Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson kept an eye on the TV in the Houston locker room, which was appropriately showing the World Series.

“Justin Verlander is a neighbor of mine,” Anderson said. “He’s obviously a clutch guy. The city is lucky to have him.”

The Rockets’ own Mr. October was pretty clutch in the NBA’s version of the bottom of the ninth.

Gordon pumped-faked a lunging Joel Embiid, took one dribble, and then buried a 3 at the horn over an outstretched Embiid that completed a furious rally and lifted the Rockets to a 105-104 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night.

“You’ve got to be prepared to try and knock down shots like that,” Gordon said. “You miss it, you miss it.”

He didn’t miss.

Gordon’s winner from the corner gave Houston its only lead over the final 18 minutes and shook a 76ers team that made a series of bad plays and bad decisions down the stretch.

Embiid, who scored 21 points, did not shoot over the final 3:44. He was whistled for a goaltending that cut Houston’s gap to three, and the Sixers’ attempt to run down the clock backfired when Jerryd Bayless — and not Embiid or Ben Simmons — missed a shot with the game in the balance.

“I think that we let one slip. Some of it was luck,” 76ers coach Brett Brown said.

The Rockets scored the final nine points and Gordon hit three 3s in the fourth. If luck was Brown’s code word for bad D, he nailed it.

Gordon scored 29 points, James Harden had 27 and Clint Capela had 16 points and 20 rebounds.

J.J. Redick scored 22 points, and Robert Covington had 20 for the Sixers.

“It’s a learning experience,” Embiid said. “We’re going to need that in the future. We’re young. That’s not an excuse, but we can all get better.”

Embiid, the 7-foot center out of Cameroon, again had the Sixers playing like a playoff team and not pushovers when he’s healthy and energized. His 3 off the glass from the top of the arc in the fourth gave the Sixers a nine-point lead. Embiid pointed toward the sky as he ran back on defense and his bucket about blew the roof off an arena packed with fans who have had little reason to cheer the last five years.

Harden and Gordon hit 3s that stunned the Sixers and cut the gap to three, starting a rally that lasted down to the final bucket.

Both teams played without key cogs to their offense: Chris Paul was out again for the Rockets because of an injured left knee, and Markelle Fultz, the No. 1 pick of the 2017 draft, missed the game with a sore right shoulder. Fultz will miss the next two games and will be evaluated next week.

The Sixers drew another big crowd — 20,682 — as fans have bought into “The Process,” and big plays had fans going wild. They were given souvenir signs that had a picture of Simmons, Embiid and Fultz, the trio expected to soon carry the Sixers into the playoffs.

Embiid, who sat out the second quarter, waved his arms and exhorted the crowd to get louder on a “Trust the Process” chant, and then hit a free throw for a 72-69 lead. He egged on the crowd on a “Ref, you suck” chant and soaked in the calls for “MVP! MVP!”

Simmons and Embiid have been a fantastic 1-2 punch and helped the Sixers win at Detroit on Monday night. Simmons, the No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft, struggled for most of Tuesday’s game until he connected on a rim-rattling dunk off the break that kept the Sixers’ lead at five.

It just wasn’t enough.

“For us to be a good team, we have to win in games like this,” Gordon said.

TIP-INS

Rockets: G Trevor Ariza will miss the three-game trip with a sprained left foot. He will be evaluated next week when the Rockets return home. ... C Nene sat out with a sore left Achilles.

76ers: Team president Bryan Colangelo said there had been “no medical reason” not to play Fultz this season and the shoulder had no structural damage. ... Fultz is shooting 33 percent, 50 percent from the free-throw line and has not attempted a 3-point shot all season, all as a reserve.

PAUL OUT

Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said the offense remains “uneven” without Paul, who is week-to-week with his knee injury.

NUMBERS GAME

Houston and the 76ers each hit 12 3s. But the Rockets made 21 of 24 from the free-throw line while the Sixers were just 6 of 10.

UP NEXT

Rockets: Friday at Charlotte.

76ers: Saturday at Dallas.

Gasol leads Grizzlies to 98-90 win over Rockets

Associated Press

HOUSTON (AP) — In a game that he dominated offensively, Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol said it was the team’s defense that helped the most in the wild come-from-behind win over the Houston Rockets.

Gasol scored 26 points to lead the Grizzles to a 98-90 win in Houston on Monday night. Memphis has won its first three games for the first time since the 2014-15 season when the team won its opening six contests.

Memphis allowed just two points in the final six minutes and ended the game on a 20-2 run.

“At the end of the game, not allowing them to score, that’s a great way to finish,” Gasol said. “When you can trust that your defense is going to be there at the end of the game, you don’t have to put as much pressure on your offense.”

With the game tied at 88 with less than three minutes remaining, tempers flared after Memphis guard Mario Chalmers fell to the ground and tripped James Harden, who then shoved Chalmers as he tried to get off the ground. After a lengthy review, both players received technical and Harden was called with an offensive foul.

Memphis guard Mike Conley said Chalmers’ scrappiness provided a spark for the Grizzlies.

“He embodies what we are and for that to happen at that point of the game, it got everybody going,” Conley said. “It got everybody believing that, ‘Hey, we belong here, we’re supposed to be here, and this is our chance to win the game.’”

On the following play, James Ennis III made a shot where he was fouled and converted the free throw to put Memphis up three. After Clint Capela’s dunk, Conley hit a 3 to push the lead to 94-90.

Conley struggled for most of the game, shooting 3-for-10 from the field and scoring nine of his 17 points at the free throw line, where he was perfect. But he came on huge for Memphis down the stretch, making key shots and getting pivotal assists.

“They did a good job of defending and switching — every shot I took was a tough shot up until the fourth quarter,” Conley said. “In close games, there’s a job to be done, and you just have to go out there and do it.”

For most of the game, it was Gasol who gave Houston fits. Whether he was overpowering Capela or shooting over smaller forwards, Gasol found a rhythm, making eight of his 15 shots and going 10-for-10 from the free throw line.

When told he had five dunks in the game, Gasol said, “That’s four too many.”

On Eric Gordon Bobblehead Night where he was presented with his Sixth Man of the Year Award in a pregame ceremony, the veteran guard was ironically a starter in the game. Gordon led the Rockets with 27 points.

Harden finished with 22 points, eight assists and five rebounds. Houston was held to 90 points, three less than their season low of 93 from all of last season.

“Our bodies weren’t popping and moving like we normally do,” Harden said. “We didn’t make shots, obviously. They played pretty good defense, but we just didn’t pop when we needed it.”

Houston led 57-50 at halftime. The Rockets held a lead as big as 12 points in the second half, but the Grizzlies got hot midway through the fourth quarter.

OFF-SHOOTING NIGHT

The Rockets made just nine 3s on 23.7 percent shooting. Houston was 1-8 when making less than 10 3s last season.

“Obviously, we forced some up — some were good and didn’t go in,” Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni said. “We have to improve. We’ve got to get better, and I knew it was going to be a tough game.”

BOO BIRDS:

Forward Chandler Parsons was booed heavily by the Toyota Center crowd when he first took the floor. Parsons spent his first three seasons in Houston before leaving for Dallas in 2014.

TIP-INS

Grizzles: Guard Tyreke Evans played through a bruised left knee after being listed as questionable. Evans played 21 minutes and had five points. ... Forward JaMychal Green missed a second straight game with a left ankle injury and wore a boot on the team’s bench.

Rockets: Harden was named Western Conference Player of the Week early Monday after averaging 27.7 points, 9.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.67 steals to lead Houston to a 3-0 start. It was the 14th time in his career to win the award. ... Veteran center Nene received a technical foul for a dead-ball brush with Parsons late in the third quarter.

UP NEXT

Grizzlies: Visit Dallas on Wednesday night.

Rockets: Visit Philadelphia on Wednesday night.

Rockets rally to spoil defending champion Warriors return

By JANIE McCAULEY
Associated Press

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Confetti began to fall and the Golden State Warriors thought they had pulled off a wild opening-night win.

The Houston Rockets emphatically signaled otherwise — insisting that Kevin Durant’s baseline jumper had swished through the net after the buzzer.

After one official got hurt, two remaining referees reviewed the play and ruled the Rockets had escaped with a 122-121 victory Tuesday on the night the Warriors received their championship rings.

“I thought it had a chance but I knew it was a little late. I knew I was cutting it close,” Durant said. “Tough loss. First game of 82, we’ve definitely got to move on. We’ve got to get better.”

The Warriors got the ball for one final chance with 10.6 seconds left and Durant came up with the ball after Stephen Curry had missed.

“I didn’t think it counted,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr said. “When I saw it, it looked to me like it was a little late. Didn’t surprise me it was overturned.”

Trevor Ariza’s 3-pointer with 2:09 remaining pulled Houston within 119-118 then Patrick McCaw hit a baseline jumper immediately after Golden State’s timeout. James Harden made a layup and PJ Tucker hit two free throws with 44.1 to make it 122-121.

Nick Young came off the bench to hit six 3-pointers and score 23 points in a brilliant Warriors debut, Curry scored 22 points and Durant had 20 after a slow start. Klay Thompson added 16 points.

Chris Paul had four points on 2-for-9 shooting in his Rockets debut, while Harden scored 27 points, Eric Gordon 24 and Tucker 20 for the Rockets. Houston opened the fourth with a 9-0 run to get back in it.

“It’s very encouraging to be able to beat a great team like that on a huge night for them,” Anderson said.

The Warriors found their rhythm early but couldn’t close it out after an abbreviated preseason in terms of practice time given their recent trip to China for a pair of games against Minnesota.

Draymond Green exited in the second half with a strained left knee after he contributed nine points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds.

“When we’re lacking conditioning like we are right now you have to have your high-energy guys,” Kerr said. “It doesn’t matter what it’s because of, we just have to get in better shape.”

Still, this opener was a far cry for the forgettable 129-100 defeat at home to San Antonio in Durant’s Warriors debut a year ago when Golden State came off a record 73-win season and runner-up finish to Cleveland in the 2016 Finals.

“I just remember the last game of the season we played,” Durant said of the Game 5 Finals clincher in June.

Young found his stroke right away, hitting his first four 3s and five shots overall. It’s exactly what the Warriors want him to do: shoot every time he has a good look. His six 3-pointers set a franchise record for anyone in their Warriors debut and also in a season opener.

Durant had one spectacular sequence in the third when he blocked Anderson’s shot on one end then converted a three-point play moments later on the other, slapping hands with a lucky boy fan on the baseline.

Houston acquired Paul from the Clippers to give them a 1-2 backcourt punch to try to gain ground on Golden State in the Western Conference.

“They came out and threw their best punch and it took us a while to adjust,” Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said. “The last quarter we held them to 20. We’re not going to do much better than that.”

RING CEREMONY

Kerr planned to pay extra attention as veterans Durant, Zaza Pachulia and David West each received a championship ring for the first time in their careers.

“Basketball accomplishments to me now are just what they are,” Durant said after morning shootaround. “I can kind of separate the two now. I feel like it’s more so just cool as hell more than anything. It’s like getting a prize possession that you’re just really excited about versus getting something that’s going to change your life. ... I’ll be more so just really giddy and happy more so than emotional. I won’t be a mess.”

BEAT-UP DUBS

Key backup and 2015 Finals MVP Andre Iguodala missed the game with a back strain, while Omri Casspi — who had been questionable with a mild right ankle sprain — appeared in his 500th career game making his debut with the Warriors. He then tweaked the ankle again.

Iguodala is expected to return for the upcoming road trip.

INJURED OFFICIAL

Referee Tre Maddox, accompanied by medical personnel, left midway through the fourth quarter after a collision with David West and hard hit. The NBA said after the game Maddox sustained an abdominal wall strain.

TIP-INS

Rockets: Tucker earned a flagrant 1 foul for his hard hit on Durant in the second. ... D’Antoni joked “We’re going to go to the In-N-Out burger” during the pregame festivities, opting to keep his team in the locker room. “They deserve it,” he said. “They won it, we didn’t.” ... The Rockets hit 22 3-pointers in three preseason games and didn’t allow more than 106 points, holding opponents to 93.8. ... Houston also opened the season vs. the Warriors in 2009 and ’10. ...

Warriors: The Warriors are auctioning signed shooting shirts worn for the pregame festivities to benefit fire relief efforts in the North Bay. ... Thompson has hit a 3 in 55 straight games, second-longest active streak.

UP NEXT

Rockets: At Kings on Wednesday night in Sacramento’s season opener.

Warriors: At New Orleans on Friday to start a three-game road trip.

___

More AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

Rockets officially sign C Nene, F Tucker

The Houston Rockets signed free agent forward P.J. Tucker and re-signed center Nene, the team announced Thursday.

Both deals had been reported a few days ago, but the Rockets made them official.

Nene agreed to a new three-year, $11 million contract, according to ESPN. Their original four-year contract agreement was nullified Saturday based on the NBA's over-38 rule that limits long-term deals.

In his first season as a Rocket, Nene appeared in 67 games with eight starts, while averaging 9.1 points and 4.2 rebounds in 17.9 minutes per game. Dating back to 1979-80, he was one of three players with at least 40 games played to have averaged at least 9.0 points and 4.0 rebounds in fewer than 18.0 minutes per game in a single season.

"Nene was a big part of our success last season, especially in the playoffs," said Rockets general manager Daryl Morey. "He is a true professional and we are fortunate to have him remain a Rocket."

Nene has the seventh-highest field goal percentage (54.8) among active players and would have ranked fifth in the NBA in 2016-17 had he qualified (61.7). During the playoffs, he shot 70.6 percent.

"The Rockets bring out the best in me," said Nene. "I love the entire organization from my teammates and coaches, to management and ownership. We have great leader in James Harden and will continue to work hard to bring another championship to Houston."

Terms of Tucker's deal were not disclosed, but multiple reports indicated it is a four-year, $32 million deal.

Tucker met with the Toronto Raptors once free agency started, but he talked to members of the Rockets, including All-Star guard James Harden.

The Raptors reportedly offered three years and $33 million.

New Rockets point guard Chris Paul also helped recruit Tucker to Houston, according to ESPN. The two players have been close since growing up in North Carolina.

Tucker averaged 6.7 points, 5.8 rebounds 1.4 steals in 81 games for the Suns and Raptors last season.

Rockets officially sign C Nene, F Tucker

The Houston Rockets signed free agent forward P.J. Tucker and re-signed center Nene, the team announced Thursday.

Both deals had been reported a few days ago, but the Rockets made them official.

Nene agreed to a new three-year, $11 million contract, according to ESPN. Their original four-year contract agreement was nullified Saturday based on the NBA's over-38 rule that limits long-term deals.

In his first season as a Rocket, Nene appeared in 67 games with eight starts, while averaging 9.1 points and 4.2 rebounds in 17.9 minutes per game. Dating back to 1979-80, he was one of three players with at least 40 games played to have averaged at least 9.0 points and 4.0 rebounds in fewer than 18.0 minutes per game in a single season.

"Nene was a big part of our success last season, especially in the playoffs," said Rockets general manager Daryl Morey. "He is a true professional and we are fortunate to have him remain a Rocket."

Nene has the seventh-highest field goal percentage (54.8) among active players and would have ranked fifth in the NBA in 2016-17 had he qualified (61.7). During the playoffs, he shot 70.6 percent.

"The Rockets bring out the best in me," said Nene. "I love the entire organization from my teammates and coaches, to management and ownership. We have great leader in James Harden and will continue to work hard to bring another championship to Houston."

Terms of Tucker's deal were not disclosed, but multiple reports indicated it is a four-year, $32 million deal.

Tucker met with the Toronto Raptors once free agency started, but he talked to members of the Rockets, including All-Star guard James Harden.

The Raptors reportedly offered three years and $33 million.

New Rockets point guard Chris Paul also helped recruit Tucker to Houston, according to ESPN. The two players have been close since growing up in North Carolina.

Tucker averaged 6.7 points, 5.8 rebounds 1.4 steals in 81 games for the Suns and Raptors last season.

Russell Westbrook, James Harden, LeBron James lead 2016-17 All-NBA first team

Houston Rockets guard James Harden was unanimously voted to the 2016-17 All-NBA First Team, and Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James matched an NBA record with his 11th First Team selection, the NBA announced today.

Harden (500 points) was the only player named to the First Team on all 100 ballots, earning First Team honors for the third time in the last four seasons.  James (498 points) received 99 First Team votes, joining Kobe Bryant and Karl Malone as the only players in league history to make the All-NBA First Team 11 times. 

The All-NBA First Team also features three players who were each selected to the First Team for the second time: Oklahoma City guard Russell Westbrook, who joined James in totaling 99 First Team votes and 498 points, San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard (96 First Team votes, 490 points) and New Orleans Pelicans center Anthony Davis (45 First Team votes, 343 points).   

The All-NBA Second Team includes three players making their All-NBA debuts: Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert and Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas.  They are joined by two Golden State Warriors, guard Stephen Curry (fourth All-NBA selection) and forward Kevin Durant (seventh All-NBA selection).

The All-NBA Third Team consists of forwards Jimmy Butler of the Chicago Bulls and Draymond Green of the Warriors, guards DeMar DeRozan of the Toronto Raptors and John Wall of the Washington Wizards and center DeAndre Jordan of the LA Clippers.  Butler, DeRozan and Wall are first-time All-NBA selections.  Green was named All-NBA for the second time, while Jordan earned his third All-NBA honor.

The NBA’s remaining 2016-17 award winners will be revealed during the inaugural NBA Awards on TNT, which will be hosted by platinum-selling recording artist and multifaceted entertainer Drake on Monday, June 26 (9 p.m. ET) at Basketball City in New York. 

The finalists for the following awards will be unveiled during a special 90-minute edition of TNT’s NBA Tip-Off presented by Autotrader on Friday, May 19 at 7 p.m. ET.: Kia NBA Most Valuable Player, Kia NBA Rookie of the Year, Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Kia NBA Sixth Man Award, Kia NBA Most Improved Player and NBA Coach of the Year.

The All-NBA Teams were chosen by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters.  The media voted for All-NBA First, Second and Third Teams by position with points awarded on a 5-3-1 basis.  Voters were asked to select two guards, two forwards and one center for each team, picking players at the position they play regularly.  Players who received votes at multiple positions were slotted at the position where they received the most votes.

Complete media voting results will be posted at NBA.com/official the night of the NBA Awards.  Click here for the list of 100 media voters for the All-NBA Teams.   

Here is a closer look at the All-NBA First Team:

• James Harden, Rockets: Harden averaged career highs of 29.1 points (second in the NBA), 11.2 assists (first) and 8.1 rebounds, helping Houston finish with the league’s third-best record at 55-27.  The 6-5 guard led the NBA in free throws made with 746 and ranked third in three-pointers made with 262.  He recorded a career-high 22 triple-doubles, tied for the NBA’s sixth-highest total in a single season.

• LeBron James, Cavaliers: In his 14th season, James set career highs in assists (8.7 apg; sixth in the NBA), rebounds (8.6 rpg) and triple-doubles (13; third in the NBA).  The 6-8 forward also ranked eighth in the NBA in scoring with 26.4 points per game, extending his league record for consecutive seasons of averaging 25.0 points to 13.  With 11 First Team selections (including 10 straight) to go with two Second Team nods, James has made an All-NBA Team in each of the last 13 seasons. 

• Russell Westbrook, Thunder: Westbrook set an NBA single-season record with 42 triple-doubles and joined Oscar Robertson as the only players in league history to average a triple-double for a season.  He averaged a league-leading 31.6 points to go with 10.7 rebounds (10th in the NBA) and 10.4 assists (third in the NBA).  In winning his second scoring title in three seasons, the 6-3 guard paced the NBA in games with at least 20 points (72), 30 points (44), 40 points (18) and 50 points (four).

• Kawhi Leonard, Spurs: The 6-7 forward finished as the NBA’s ninth-leading scorer at a career-high 25.5 points per game, becoming the first San Antonio player to average 25.0 points since Tim Duncan in the 2001-02 season.  Leonard, the Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year in each of the previous two seasons, helped the Spurs (61-21) post the league’s best defensive rating as they registered their third 60-win season in four years.

• Anthony Davis, Pelicans: Davis ranked fourth in the NBA in scoring (career-high 28.0 ppg), seventh in rebounding (career-high 11.8 rpg) and second in blocked shots (2.23 bpg) while appearing in a career-high 75 games.  The 6-11 forward/center set a single-season franchise scoring record with 2,099 points. 

2016-17 ALL-NBA FIRST TEAM

Pos. | Player (Team) | 1st team votes | 2nd team votes | 3rd team votes | Total

F | LeBron James (Cleveland) | 99 | 1 | -- | 498

F | Kawhi Leonard (San Antonio) | 96 | 3 | 1 | 490

C | Anthony Davis (New Orleans) | 45 | 34 | 16 | 343

G | James Harden (Houston) | 100 | -- | -- | 500

G | Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City) | 99 | 1 | -- | 498

2016-17 ALL-NBA SECOND TEAM

Pos. | Player (Team) | 1st team votes | 2nd team votes | 3rd team votes | Total

F | Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee) | -- | 81 | 15 | 258

F | Kevin Durant (Golden State) | 3 | 66 | 26 | 239

C | Rudy Gobert (Utah) | 43 | 38 | 10 | 339

G | Stephen Curry (Golden State) | 1 | 93 | 6 | 290

G | Isaiah Thomas (Boston) | -- | 71 | 23 | 236

2016-17 ALL-NBA THIRD TEAM

Pos. | Player (Team) | 1st team votes | 2nd team votes | 3rd team votes | Total

F | Draymond Green (Golden State) | 4 | 21 | 51 | 134

F | Jimmy Butler (Chicago) | -- | 19 | 45 | 102

C | DeAndre Jordan (LA Clippers) | 3 | 7 | 18 | 54

G | John Wall (Washington) | -- | 19 | 68 | 125

G | DeMar DeRozan (Toronto) | -- | 4 | 50 | 62

Other players receiving votes, with point totals (First Team votes in parentheses): Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota, 50 (2); Chris Paul, LA Clippers, 49; Marc Gasol, Memphis, 48 (2); DeMarcus Cousins, New Orleans, 42 (2); Paul George, Indiana, 40; Gordon Hayward, Utah, 27; Hassan Whiteside, Miami, 18; Kyrie Irving, Cleveland, 14; Klay Thompson, Golden State, 14; Nikola Jokic, Denver, 12 (1); Damian Lillard, Portland, 12; Paul Millsap, Atlanta, 3; LaMarcus Aldridge, San Antonio, 1; Blake Griffin, LA Clippers, 1; Al Horford, Boston, 1.

Spurs roll over Rockets, into conference finals

(TSX / STATS) -- HOUSTON -- San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was effusive in his praise of the man who stewarded the opposition Thursday night because he is respectful and tactful.

However, in the aftermath of yet another postseason loss to Popovich and the Spurs, Houston Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni had cause to feel abjectly disheartened.

LaMarcus Aldridge paced a balanced and breathtaking offensive effort, and the short-handed Spurs rolled into the Western Conference finals with a 114-75 dismantling of the Rockets on Thursday night at Toyota Center.

The Spurs claimed the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal in six games by blitzing the Rockets despite the absence of Tony Parker (torn left quadriceps) and Kawhi Leonard (sore left ankle).

Aldridge was the linchpin, posting 34 points and 12 rebounds, but he had plenty of help as the second-seeded Spurs set a date opposite top-seeded Golden State. The Warriors are the two-time defending Western Conference champions.

"Everybody picked it up," Popovich said. "Four, five, six guys all had good games. It wasn't one guy scoring 40 or anything like that.

"Everybody contributed. It was a real team effort with (32) assists and just (seven) turnovers. They played well at the offensive ends with a lot of sets, and at the defensive end it was one of our best nights as far as scrambling around trying to keep up with these guys."

Jonathon Simmons added 18 points in place of Leonard, while Patty Mills chipped in 14 points and seven assists. Pau Gasol paired 10 points with 11 boards for San Antonio.

Not only were the Rockets a sieve defensively, allowing the Spurs to shoot 53.1 percent, but they were helpless on the boards and inept on offense. San Antonio compiled a 60-37 rebounding edge and limited Houston to 28.6 percent shooting.

"For whatever reason, this game we didn't have the juice and the stuff," said D'Antoni, who fell to 0-5 in postseason series against Popovich and San Antonio. "It was right across the board, so we'll figure that out and get better this summer and then come back and do it again."

Rockets guard James Harden, a leading candidate for league MVP honors, was a surprising nonfactor as Houston faced elimination.

Harden, who finished second in scoring during the regular season at 29.1 points per game, did not attempt a shot until the 6:19 mark of the second quarter. He closed the first half with as many points as turnovers (five), and his two shot attempts at the intermission were fewer than 15 of the 16 players who participated in the half.

"They did a really good job of crowding and showing bodies, their bigs at the rim," Harden said of his lack of verve. "I couldn't get a rhythm, especially to the basket. Pau did a really good job of using his length at the rim. Hat's off to them."

Harden finished with 10 points on 2-of-11 shooting with seven assists and six turnovers before fouling out with 3:15 remaining. Trevor Ariza paced Houston with 20 points, and Clint Capela had 15 points and 12 boards.

Leading 31-24 entering the second, the Spurs levied the knockout blow with a 19-3 run fueled largely by reserves. While Mills and Simmons -- starters by default because of injuries -- were on the court, they were flanked by David Lee, Dejounte Murray and Kyle Anderson during a 13-0 run that extended the lead to 44-26.

When the Spurs opened the second half with an 8-1 burst sparked by six points from Aldridge, their advantage ballooned to 26 points. San Antonio led by as many as 42 points in the second half, administering a beating so thorough that it chased the partisan crowd to the exits well before the final horn. The Spurs have thrived in countless situations, but this effort, given the circumstances, resonated.

"Kawhi is a great player, but we have guys that are ready to play and the organization works these guys out every day," Aldridge said. "Every guy on the team puts in extra time to be ready to play. I wasn't worried about those guys being in. Just having guys ready to play and having those guys work hard all year it makes it a little bit easier for us, for sure."

NOTES: Spurs F Kawhi Leonard hopes to return to action Sunday for Game 1 of the Western Conference finals at Golden State, but G Tony Parker will miss the remainder of the playoffs. ... The Rockets had been 3-0 against San Antonio in postseason series, winning in the first round in 1980, the conference semifinals in 1981, and the conference finals in 1995. ... The Spurs improved to 16-3 when taking a 3-2 lead in a best-of-seven series. ... Houston fell to 7-5 when facing elimination since G James Harden joined the franchise in 2012-13.

Rockets hope to rebound vs. Spurs

Stats, LLC

HOUSTON -- Despite this Western Conference semifinal having featured the losses of respected veterans Tony Parker and Nene to season-ending injuries, the Houston Rockets' postgame locker room late Tuesday night might have been the scene of the most lamenting and greatest remorse displayed by the combatants.

With the Rockets set to host Game 6 at Toyota Center on Thursday night, they will have to live with the fact that they could have closed out the Spurs at home instead of facing their first elimination game of this postseason. Undone by a critical errors and empty possessions down the stretch, Houston coughed up a nine-point lead and enabled San Antonio to claim a 110-107 overtime win and a 3-2 lead in this best-of-seven series.

"We let one slip away," said Rockets guard James Harden, who posted a triple-double of 33 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists but shot 1 for 6 with four turnovers over the last 10 minutes of the game. "Execution (and) rebounding are probably the two primary things we let slip away. But we still have an opportunity in Game 6 to protect home court and bring it back (to San Antonio) for Game 7."

Houston surrendered 18 offensive rebounds to the Spurs and slipped into an offensive slog as the game closed, scoring 22 points during the fourth quarter and overtime. Without Nene, who was lost two minutes into Game 4, Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni opted for a seven-man rotation. The results were unfavorable.

Harden and guard Eric Gordon logged 43 minutes apiece, with guard Patrick Beverley (41 minutes) and forward Trevor Ariza (40) also playing at least 40 minutes. As fatigue mounted offensive execution waned, with the Rockets standing around and settling for tough shots instead of challenging the Spurs' scrambling defense.

"Probably got tired," D'Antoni said of the lack of pace and production. "We just couldn't quite push it. We had our opportunities with about three minutes to go in the game to knock a couple 3s down I thought were good shots. We just didn't make the big play at that moment.

"We've got to find the energy to get ready for the next game and try again."

Despite leading the series and standing one victory away from a showdown with the Golden State Warriors in the conference finals, the Spurs have their own set of concerns. Coach Gregg Popovich altered his starting lineup, inserting veteran Patty Mills at lead guard after opting for Dejounte Murray for Games 3 and 4. Murray did not play in San Antonio after being the first choice to replace Parker.

All-star forward Kawhi Leonard injured his right ankle on Tuesday night and sat out overtime, finishing with 22 points and 15 rebounds in 38 minutes. Leonard pledged to play in Game 6, but uncertainty has gripped the Spurs again.

On Wednesday, the Spurs officially listed him as questionable for the game.

"You never know with him. His facial expressions don't change, so it's hard to tell if he's experienced any pain," Spurs guard Danny Green said of Leonard. "But, he looked OK. He was walking. I think he got an X-ray. I think everything was good, but I'm not a doctor. We'll see how it goes ... when we travel."

Spurs overcome Leonard injury, Harden to beat Rockets in OT

By RAUL DOMINGUEZ
Associated Press

SAN ANTONIO (AP) The San Antonio Spurs were in a tough spot after Kawhi Leonard hurt his ankle in the second half.

That's when Danny Green and the Spurs' supporting cast stepped up.

Green scored seven of his 16 points in overtime, helping San Antonio top James Harden and the Houston Rockets 110-107 on Tuesday night to take a 3-2 lead in their second-round playoff series.

Harden had 33 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. He had a chance at a potential tying 3-pointer in the final seconds of OT, but was blocked from behind by Manu Ginobili.

"I remember saying to a couple of the guys this is what we live for, these moments, to play in these situations," Spurs point guard Patty Mills said. "Game 5, at home, you just try to soak it up and play hard. I guess that's where all the passion comes out, at those moments. The diving on loose balls, coming up with whatever it may be, you're throwing your body on the line in those situations."

Leonard had 22 points and 15 rebounds in 38 minutes before exiting with an injured right ankle. He stepped on Harden's foot while running back in transition with 5:37 left in the third quarter and then played limited minutes before sitting out overtime.

The Spurs already were without Tony Parker, who will miss the rest of the playoffs after surgery to repair a ruptured left quadriceps tendon.

"It was frustrating because I wanted to play," Leonard said. "But I was happy seeing my teammates out there putting in a good effort and getting the win."

Leonard said he will play in Game 6 on Thursday in Houston.

Green made a go-ahead 3-pointer and converted a three-point play to make it 109-107 Spurs with 30.1 seconds left. He also made a foul shot down the stretch to help San Antonio hold on.

"I think we all made a decision to be aggressive," Green said of Leonard's absence, "regardless of what was going to happen. We weren't going to lose the game being on our heels."

Two questionable plays closed regulation with the game tied at 101.

Harden was whistled for a charge after dribbling all but a few seconds off the shot clock before driving to the basket on Jonathon Simmons. The Spurs failed to take a shot on their final possession, with Mills banking in a 3-pointer after the buzzer sounded.

Harden also played solid defense, helping hold Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge to 15-for-42 shooting as he rotated assignments in Houston's smaller lineup.

"I was trying to keep them in front of me," Harden said. "Two All-Stars and even Pau (Gasol), who is 7-foot-something. I just tried to be aggressive and do the best that I can and help my team."

But the defensive effort and facilitating Houston's offense appeared to take a toll on Harden. He had four points on 1-for-6 shooting and four turnovers in the final five minutes of regulation and overtime. Harden, who finished with nine turnovers, said he was not fatigued despite playing 43 minutes.

"I just missed shots," Harden said.

The Spurs tried to exploit a size advantage over the Rockets' small lineup early, especially when Harden was guarding either Aldridge and Gasol. The Spurs' big men only managed 2-for-5 shooting in the opening three minutes, leading San Antonio to abandon the strategy midway through the first quarter and sub Simmons for Gasol.

Simmons responded by scoring 10 points on 5-for-13 shooting in 26 minutes.

TIP-INS

Rockets: Houston has lost four straight best-of-seven series when it was tied 2-2. The last time the Rockets won a series after being tied 2-2 was in the 1995 Western Conference finals when they beat the Spurs. ... The Rockets have not lost to the Spurs in three previous postseason series. ... C Nene is out for the remainder of the postseason after tearing his left adductor in Game 4. ... The team that led at the half had won every game in the series until Game 5.

Spurs: Coach Gregg Popovich opted to start Mills after starting rookie Dejounte Murray in the previous two games in place of Parker. . Ginobili has 314 3-pointers in his postseason career, which is third in league history behind Ray Allen (385) and Reggie Miller (320).

MY BAD

Popovich screamed at Gasol after the veteran center failed to set a screen for Mills on the final play in regulation. The miscue helped contribute to the Spurs failing to take a shot at the close of regulation, forcing overtime.

"I think I made a wrong read," Gasol said. "It was tough because when they put a small on you, you have a tendency to go in. I saw a switch, but I should have stayed up because (Patrick) Beverley went with LaMarcus and we could have played off that. I made a bad, bad read on that play."

Game 5 pivotal for Rockets, Spurs

Stats, LLC

The first four games of the Western Conference semifinal series between the Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs have seen the best and worst of both teams, with each winning twice.

That's why Game 5 of the best-of-seven series, set for Tuesday at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, is so crucial.

Game 6 will be on Thursday in Houston, with a seventh and deciding game -- if necessary -- scheduled for Sunday in San Antonio.

The Rockets, who had looked lost in Game 2 on the road and Game 3 at home, stormed back to claim a 125-104 win in Game 4 on Sunday in Houston to tie the series.

Houston point guard and MVP candidate James Harden scored 28 points and dished out 12 assists in the win. The Rockets' bench stepped up, getting 22 points from guards Eric Gordon and 13 from Lou Williams after the entire reserve unit scored just 10 points in their Game 3 loss.

It helped too that Houston canned 19 3-point shots in the victory Sunday, the second time in the series it had reached that number -- the Rockets had a franchise-high 22 3-pointers in their Game 1 win in San Antonio.

"We did a great job of having patience with our drive-ins," Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni said. "Drive, kick, drive, kick, instead of just throwing up a quick floater, which is kind of what San Antonio wants you to do. We were able to keep moving the ball, or keep moving our people and keep driving until we found the easier shot and it worked."

After recording just four fast-break points in Game 3, the Rockets managed 13 in the first quarter alone in Game 4.

"Our defense was pretty defective," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.

Rockets reserve center Nene logged just two minutes before departing with an injury. The team announced on Monday that he would miss the rest of the postseason with a torn left adductor. Nene had averaged 10.8 points and 5.3 rebounds in 19.9 minutes during the playoffs before Sunday's injury.

"Nene is a big part of what we do," Harden said. "Guys have to step up. It's an opportunity for guys who don't play big minutes and for guys who haven't really played and might get some opportunities. Whoever it is, we've got to try to fill that role."

Reserve guard Jonathon Simmons tallied a team-high 17 points for the Spurs in Game 4 while forwards Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge scored 16 apiece and reserve guard Patty Mills added 10 points for San Antonio, which never led in the game.

"Houston made a few adjustments that we just couldn't cope with them on the fly," Mills said. "And it ended up leaving us (playing) soft and exposed our individual (defense), which they took the chances and just drove (on) us."

Although San Antonio would potentially have two of the final three games on its home floor, Spurs venerable guard Manu Ginobili said the team needed to treat Tuesday's contest like it was a Game 7, not a Game 5.

"We had a great opportunity (in Game 4) to go back to San Antonio up 3-1 and in a better situation," Ginobili said. "Now it's 2-2 and we have to go in knowing that every possession is a game-winning possession."

Since moving to the AT&T Center in 2002, the Spurs are 81-28 (.743) in home playoff games, giving them the most such wins by any team in the league since that year.

Harden, Rockets rout Spurs 125-104 to tie series

By KRISTIE RIEKEN
AP Sports Writer

HOUSTON (AP) -- After fighting through a terrible chest cold for the last few days, James Harden finally felt like himself on Sunday night.

"I can finally breathe," Harden said.

And the Houston Rockets can, too, after his performance helped them rebound from consecutive losses to beat the San Antonio Spurs 125-104 and tie the Western Conference semifinal at 2-2.

Harden scored 28 points and Eric Gordon added 22 as the Rockets never trailed and used hot 3-point shooting to pull away in the third quarter.

"I think our energy was just up no matter what," Harden said. "They went on runs. They cut the deficit down ... but no matter, what we just stayed with it."

Game 5 is Tuesday night in San Antonio.

Jonathon Simmons had 17 points for the Spurs, and Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge added 16 apiece.

Houston made 22 3-pointers in a blowout win in Game 1, but had struggled from long-range in its two losses. The Rockets' 3-point shooting, a hallmark of their success in the regular season, got back on track Sunday when they made 19 of 43, led by six from Gordon.

The Rockets led by 15 entering the fourth quarter and immediately padded the lead when Gordon made a 3-pointer to open the period. Simmons made a 3 on the other end before Gordon struck again with his sixth 3-pointer to leave the Rockets up 97-79.

The Spurs were unable to cut into the lead after that and both teams had mostly backups on the court by the midpoint of the period with the game out of hand.

San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich pointed to one big reason to explain why his team struggled Sunday night.

"Our bible begins with transition defense, and if it's not there, then we're just not ready to go," he said. "If you had seen clips of our transition D (Sunday), you would trade all the players and fire me by the end of the game. It was that bad."

Houston's offense bounced back in a big way after the team had been held to below 100 points in each of the last two games after failing to reach the mark only five times in the regular season.

Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni was impressed with how his team corrected the mistakes it made in the last two games in this one.

"This is a big stage they did it on," he said. "We have a lot of work left, but there's no reason why we can't go down to San Antonio and repeat the performance."

The offense was helped by a more balanced scoring attack with seven players scoring in double figures after only three Rockets scored more than 10 points in Game 3. Harden had 12 assists after managing just five in the last game and added five rebounds.

The Rockets were up by five early in the third quarter before using an 8-2 run to make it 70-59 with about eight minutes left in the quarter.

Harden was shaken up soon after that when he banged his left knee into Patty Mills as he attempted to drive to the basket. He fell to the court grabbing his knee as Houston called a timeout and trainers rushed to him. But there was no need for alarm, as he shook off the injury and returned after the timeout to make a 3-pointer seconds later.

It was the first of three straight 3-pointers for the Rockets in a 9-2 run that made it 79-61 midway through the quarter.

San Antonio scored the next eight points, with six from Aldridge, to cut it to 79-69 with 3 1/2 minutes left in the third.

Houston still had a 10-point lead late in the quarter before closing out the third with an 8-3 run that pushed it to 91-76 entering the fourth. Ryan Anderson wrapped up the scoring in that quarter with a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

TIP-INS

Spurs: Rookie Dejounte Murray had eight points in his second game in the starting lineup since Tony Parker suffered a season-ending leg injury in Game 3. ... Pau Gasol had eight points and seven rebounds. ... Danny Green finished with just 3 points.

Rockets: Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon sat courtside. ... Nene was pulled his left groin in the first quarter and didn't return. ... Trevor Ariza had 16 points for his second straight game with double figures.

BEVERLEY'S LOSS

Houston's Patrick Beverley played with a heavy heart after learning just before the game that his grandfather Rheese Morris had passed away. Beverley, who finished with 10 points and six assists, wept after the game as he spoke about what Morris meant to him.

"He was there as long as I can remember," Beverley said wiping his tears away on the shoulder of his shirt. "He was at every single game that he could possibly make it to. It's a tough one for me."

THEY SAID IT

Ariza on Houston's role players stepping up on Sunday night: "In our offense, we need everybody to be aggressive. That's what we have to do if we want to win this series."

UP NEXT

After Game 5 in San Antonio on Tuesday, the series shifts back to Houston for Game 6 on Thursday night.

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More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

Rockets need more than 1-man show vs. Spurs

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HOUSTON -- As Houston Rockets guard James Harden barreled through the San Antonio defense on Friday night en route to 30 second-half points, what gradually became clear was the Spurs' willingness to let Harden thrive as long as his teammates did not.

Plenty of the postgame dialogue celebrated the Spurs' height advantage and how they parlayed it into a 103-92 victory over Houston in Game 3 of this Western Conference semifinal series. The adjustment that proved more decisive was San Antonio ceding scoring opportunities to Harden while muting the Rockets' other perimeter threats.

Harden scored 56.6 percent of Houston's second-half points, doing so with an impressive 75.0 effective field goal percentage. But Harden recorded two assists following the intermission and had just one teammate reach double figures in scoring after halftime. Center Clint Capela had 10 of his 12 points after the break.

Houston aims to square the series at 2-2 in Game 4 on Sunday night at Toyota Center.

After averaging a league-leading 11.2 assists during the regular season and 12 in Games 1 and 2 in San Antonio, Harden produced five assists in Game 3. Houston fell to 1-5 in the six games that Harden recorded six or fewer assists this season.

"It's a battle I've been trying to figure out all year long, to find a happy medium between scoring the basketball and facilitating," said Harden, who finished with 43 points. "I think I just go with basketball instincts. If I have a shot be aggressive and shoot it. If not, get off the ball and have someone else make a play."

The Rockets exploited foes based on decisions Harden makes with the ball, and when he is able to score and facilitate, their offense is often overwhelming. Harden recorded 20 points and 14 assists in the series opener, needing just 13 shots to orchestrate an offense that produced a 39-point lead and a 126-99 win.

Houston finished 19-10 when Harden produced 30-plus points and 10-plus assists during the regular season. Preventing him from striking that balance, even while running the risk of Harden exploding, renders the Rockets' offense less frightful. Excluding Harden, Houston went 0 for 8 on second-half 3-pointers.

"It's a challenge," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "They've got great shooters, good athletes, good scheme, and just as anyone else would do we're just trying to do our best to get out to those shooters. James does a great job making you think about what you have to do to him, how much you can help off other people. It's enough to drive you crazy but you just do your best. That's why people score."

The Spurs will again be without point guard Tony Parker in Game 4 after he was lost for the season with a quadriceps injury in Game 2. Rookie Dejounte Murray will again start with Patty Mills coming in off the bench.

Power forward LaMarcus Aldridge exploded for 26 points in Game 2 after totaling just 19 over the first two games. Star small forward Kawhi Leonard had another strong game with 26 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.

What proved crucial for San Antonio was that while Harden scored at will in the second half, so too did the Spurs. After mustering only 43 points prior to the intermission, San Antonio scored 60 in the second half with a 63.9 effective field goal percentage.

While there was no correlation between Harden finding his offensive rhythm and the Rockets' defensive collapse, their shortcoming on that end of the court left them acknowledging one more thing that needs to change Sunday night.

"They played harder than we did in the second half. We can't allow that, especially at home," Rockets forward Trevor Ariza said. "We've got to do a better job of matching their physicality and playing harder."

Aldridge steps up to help Spurs down Rockets 103-92

By KRISTIE RIEKEN
AP Sports Writer

HOUSTON (AP) – LaMarcus Aldridge had been criticized through two games of the Western Conference semifinals for not doing enough for the San Antonio Spurs.

On Friday night, with the Spurs now without Tony Parker, he shook off his slow start to this series with a huge game that propelled his team to a 103-92 victory over the Houston Rockets and a 2-1 lead.

Aldridge and Kawhi Leonard scored 26 points apiece in San Antonio's first postseason game without Parker since 2001, which ended an NBA record of 221 straight playoff appearances for the Frenchman. The 34-year-old was injured in the fourth quarter of Game 2.

"You can't replace Tony Parker. He's a Hall of Famer one day, but I think guys just came out with a sense of urgency and just played hard," Aldridge said.

Aldridge had managed just 19 points combined in the first two games, but stepped up in the wake of Parker's season-ending leg injury, scoring nine points in the fourth quarter to help the Spurs pull away.

"I do what the team needs," Aldridge said. "Tonight this was needed and I did it. So I'm always going to try to be aggressive out there and try to make things happen."

Game 4 is Sunday night in Houston.

James Harden led the Rockets with 43 points after scoring just 13 in Game 2. But he had only five assists and complained about the officiating all night.

"We had several opportunities," Harden said. "As a unit we couldn't get it going consistently."

Coach Gregg Popovich started rookie Dejounte Murray in San Antonio's first game since Parker's quadriceps injury, instead of moving Patty Mills into the starting lineup. Mills had 15 points in 30 minutes and Murray scored just two points in 15 minutes.

"We started off pretty slow, but I think we did good," said Leonard, who had 10 rebounds and seven assists. "We got a win, but definitely still have to make some adjustments."

The Spurs led by six when Aldridge scored all of their points in a 7-2 run to make it 85-74 with about five minutes left.

"Aldridge sooner or later is going to go off because he's an All-Star," Houston coach Mike D'Antoni said. "Nothing they did should have bothered us. We just didn't play well."

Houston scored six straight points soon after that to get within eight, but Danny Green made two 3-pointers in less than a minute to push the lead to 94-82 with less than three minutes remaining.

San Antonio was up by six entering the fourth quarter and had a five-point lead with about 7 1/2 minutes remaining when Harden was given a technical foul for complaining after not getting a call. Leonard made the free throw to make it 78-72.

The Spurs led by four at halftime and pushed the lead to 52-43 early in the third quarter. San Antonio was up by 10 soon after that before the Rockets used a 10-1 spurt, with all the points from Harden, to cut it to 56-55 midway through the quarter.

Jonathon Simmons hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to leave San Antonio up 72-66 entering the fourth quarter.

Harden picked up his third foul with 5:18 left in the first quarter when he ran into Pau Gasol and crashed to the court while attempting a 3-pointer. Harden was outraged at the call, flipping over on his stomach on the court and kicking his legs in disbelief.

He remained upset after a timeout, approaching a referee and arguing the call, before finally calming down.

TIP-INS

Spurs: Parker had surgery on Friday to repair the ruptured quadriceps tendon in his left leg. The team said a timeline for his return will be determined later. ... Gasol had 12 points and nine rebounds. ... Green had 11 points.

Rockets: Trevor Ariza made five 3-pointers in the first half, but none after that. ... Patrick Beverley received a technical foul in the fourth quarter. ... Capela finished with 12 points and 16 rebounds. ...Houston lost for the first time at home this postseason after winning their first three games.

ALDRIDGE IN HOUSTON

Aldridge has a history of big playoff games in Houston, posting the two highest-scoring games of his postseason career here by scoring 46 and 43 points in the first round against the Rockets in 2014 with Portland.

"I don't know what it is but I just like playing here," he said. "And tonight I just tried to take my shots and be confident and even if they didn't fall I just stayed with it."

THEY SAID IT

Green on Murray's play against veteran guard Beverley: "You've got a guy like Pat Beverley - a junkyard dog - hounding him up and down the court. It's not an easy task, but I think he got a little more comfortable as the game went on."

UP NEXT

After Sunday's game in Houston the series moves back to San Antonio for Game 5 on Tuesday night.

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More AP NBA: http://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

Spurs press on without Parker in Game 3 vs. Rockets

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HOUSTON -- What the San Antonio Spurs showcased during their 25-point victory in Game 2 on Wednesday night was their reputed ability to adjust their game plan to favorable results. Given the injury update that broke on Thursday, the Spurs will be forced to adjust again now that the series has changed locales.

Spurs guard Tony Parker will miss the remainder of the 2017 postseason after suffering a ruptured left quadriceps tendon at the 8:52 mark of the fourth quarter. Parker finished with 18 points and four assists in the Spurs' 121-96 victory, and was instrumental in orchestrating an offense that produced a 59.7 effective field-goal percentage against a Rockets defense that excelled in Game 1.

With the series squared at a game apiece and the Rockets set to host Game 3 on Friday night at Toyota Center, the Spurs are not only charged with the task of preparing for an emotional shift favoring the Rockets now that they have home court, San Antonio must also move forward without its venerable floor general.

"For this game, it didn't matter that much," Spurs guard Manu Ginobili said. "We were up by 14 and (reserve guard) Patty (Mills) has done it many times, to close games. But, it's hard to see him limping and hurting now and you kind of know we're not going to see him any time soon. So, that's a tough blow.

"So, we'll see. We'll have to regroup, re-organize the starting five and the rotations, and everything. We'll try to step up, but it's tough to lose a player like TP."

The Rockets' preparation is dramatically altered by the fact that Parker won't be present to steer the Spurs' ship. Even considering the Spurs' familiarity with performing and performing well without Parker, who missed 19 games during the regular season and embodies their championship culture.

While forward Kawhi Leonard is the offensive focal point, Parker remains critical to what the Spurs do.

Houston isn't venturing into the great unknown in structuring a game plan suited for slowing Mills and not Parker. But there is a bit of mystery involved.

"First of all I hate it for Tony," Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni said. "He's not a good guy, he's a great guy and that's tough. You hate to see that for anybody.

"Having said that, they still have plenty, and Patty will run it I'm sure. And then we'll see what they do. They might just stay big or they could go with another little guy. I don't know yet."

What is known: The Rockets must get All-Star guard James Harden untracked.

While Houston struggled in transition against a Spurs defense committed to stifling the Rockets' fast break, its offense was seriously undermined by Harden shooting 3 for 17 en route to 13 points. The Rockets have showcased this postseason an ability to thrive offensively without Harden playing at peak levels. But when he is as disjointed and inefficient as he was in Game 2, they struggle.

After blitzing the Spurs in Game 1, the Rockets surrendered that momentum with a fourth-quarter collapse two nights later. What the Spurs must guard against in addition to a lull borne from the absence of Parker is the notion that they have seized control of this Western Conference semifinal by virtue of their recent brilliance. As has been witnessed, postseason series can turn in an instant.

"The series isn't over," Leonard said. "You can't be satisfied until it's done."