James Harden, Rockets Shred Russell Westbrook and Thunder in Win
It's a good thing the Oklahoma City Thunder's 2018 first-round pick is lottery protected.
Facing a dwindling margin for error in the heated Western Conference playoff race, the Thunder continued their descent down the standings with a 122-112 loss to the Houston Rockets at Chesapeake Energy Arena on Tuesday night.
Oklahoma City is now 37-29 overall as it continues to jockey for position with the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers and Utah Jazz on the fringe of the postseason picture.
The Rockets, who improved to 50-13, ripped off their 16th straight win dating back to Jan. 28 and maintained a grip on the No. 1 seed.
ESPN Stats & Info added some perspective:
The victory came behind the efforts of seven double-figure scorers.
Chris Paul headlined that group with 25 points, and he shot a robust 5-of-6 from three on a night when the Rockets scorched Oklahoma City's stable of pesky wing defenders and converted 51.5 percent of their long-range looks.
James Harden added 23 points, 11 assists and four steals. However, a season-high 10 turnovers—Houston committed 21 as a team—cast a shadow over a rather uneven performance.
Despite those bouts of sloppiness, Houston improved to 33-1 this season when Harden, Paul and center Clint Capela (10 points, three rebounds) all suit up.
It was also a big night for the Rockets' second unit.
Although Houston entered the game ranked 24th in the league in bench scoring (30.3 points per game), Rockets reserves piled up 39 points, including 14 from Eric Gordon, to outpace the Thunder (21 off the bench) in an effort that showcased the club's championship-caliber depth.
"We're going to play hard, play for each other and the results are going to show," Harden recently told NBA.com's Shaun Powell. "You can see how each individual works at his craft, whatever his craft is. We're putting all those pieces together along with the coaching staff we have."
The Thunder tried their best to claw out of a 19-point fourth-quarter hole, but that deficit proved insurmountable even though Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony put forth fine outings.
The reigning NBA MVP finished with a game-high 32 points, while Anthony added 23 points as he passed Jerry West for 20th on the NBA's all-time scoring list.
Now losers of two straight, the Thunder will look to get back in the win column Thursday when they host the Phoenix Suns.
The Rockets, on the other hand, return to the floor Wednesday for the second night of a back-to-back against the Milwaukee Bucks at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.
