CJ McCollum and the Portland Trail Blazers got the last laugh against James Harden and the Houston Rockets with a gritty 128-126 overtime win on Saturday, December 26 (Sunday, December 27, Manila time).

McCollum capped his 44-point outburst with the game-winning three-pointer as the Blazers put to waste a monster double-double outing from Harden to crack the winning column.

Harden put the Rockets ahead with a step back triple over Robert Covington, 126-125, before McCollum – who also had 8 assists and 3 rebounds – knocked down the go-ahead trey with 6.9 ticks left.

The Rockets had ample time to either tie or take the lead but Harden saw his pass deflected and stolen by Covington as the final buzzer sounded.

Damian Lillard bounced back from a quiet season-opening performance with 32 points, 9 assists, and 5 rebounds for the Blazers, who improved to 1-1 in the Western Conference.

Jusuf Nurkic put up 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists, while Enes Kanter added 10 points and 9 rebounds off the bench in the win.

Covington made his presence felt for the Blazers with 9 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block.

Harden saw his 44 points, 17 assists, and 4 rebounds go down the drain as the Rockets dropped their first game of the season without several of their key players.

The Rockets missed John Wall, DeMarcus Cousin, and Eric Gordon, who are all undergoing a 7-day quarantine after being in contact with a person who tested positive for the coronavirus.

Christian Wood, playing in his first official game for the Rockets, churned out 31 points and 13 rebounds in the loss. – Rappler.com