Trail Blazers trip Rockets as Harden’s 40-point streak ends

LOS ANGELES, USA – Jusuf Nurkic had 25 points and 15 rebounds, and the Portland Trail Blazers snapped James Harden’s 40-point streak with a 110-101 win over the Houston Rockets in the NBA on Saturday, January 5 (Sunday, January 6, Manila time).

Harden finished with 38 points, falling just short of his sixth straight game with 40 or more.

The Blazers, who also halted the Rockets’ six-game winning streak, pulled away by as many as 16 points in the 3rd quarter as Harden got off to a cold start with just 9 points in the 1st half.

Harden regained his groove, though, after the break and a Gerald Green dunk put the Rockets within 5 points, 88-83. 

The Blazers responded behind Harden, Nurkic, and CJ McCollum to stay afloat, 101-90, heading into the last 3 minutes.

McCollum finished with 24 points and Damian Lillard registered a double-double of 17 points and 12 assists.

Jusuf Nurkic & the @trailblazers stopped the surging Rockets at home tonight!

: 25 PTS | 15 REB#RipCity pic.twitter.com/I3L8DirMsw

— NBA TV (@NBATV) January 6, 2019

Harden – who hit the game-winner and recorded his fifth straight 40-point performance in the Rockets’ overtime upset of the Warriors, 135-134  – already belongs to the elite company of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Allen Iverson as othe only players to score 40 or more points in 5 straight games.

Portland was the last team to hold Harden under 30 points when he had 29 in Houston’s 111-104 home victory on December 11. 

The Blazers, who have won 3 of their last 4 games, improved their record to 23-17.

Austin Rivers scored a season-high 21 points while Clint Capela had 13 points and 21 rebounds in the loss as the Rockets slid to 22-16. – Rappler.com