HOUSTON — James Harden scored 37 points and Al Horford missed a shot just before the buzzer to allow the Houston Rockets to hold on for a 107-106 victory over the Boston Celtics on Monday night.
The game was tied before Harden scored five straight points to make it 107-102 with less than a minute remaining. Avery Bradley made a jump shot and Harden received a flagrant 1 foul for elbowing Marcus Smart in the face. Smart made both free throws before Isaiah Thomas missed a layup.
UP NExt
WHO: Boston Celtics at Orlando Magic
WHEN: 7 p.m. Wednesday
TELEVISION: CSN
But Houston knocked the ball out of bounds with 5.2 seconds left, giving Boston one last chance. Horford drove into the lane, but his shot rolled off the rim and Harden grabbed it to secure the victory.
Horford had 21 points and Thomas added 20 for the Celtics, who had won two straight.
It was the ninth 30-point game this season for Harden, who also had eight assists and seven rebounds.
An 8-2 run by Houston, powered by a pair of 3-pointers by Eric Gordon, cut Boston’s lead to one with about 8:30 left. Smart made a 3-pointer for the first of seven straight points for the Celtics that made it 96-88. Smart also had a big defensive play in that stretch when he blocked a one-handed dunk attempt by Montrezl Harrell.
Houston scored eight straight points, topped off with a dunk from Harrell, to take a 102-100 lead with about 3:30 left.
The Celtics trailed by 12 early in the third quarter before using a 15-2 spurt to take a 68-67 lead with about 7 minutes left in the quarter. Boston made three 3-pointers in that span, capped by one from Horford. Houston missed five shots, including four 3s, and had two turnovers to help the Celtics close the gap.
Boston led 83-77 entering the fourth.
The Rockets were up by three points with 2 minutes left in the first half before Smart fouled Harden on a 3-point attempt and he made all three free throws. Houston had extended the lead to seven when Smart again fouled Harden on a 3-point try and his three free throws made it 58-48 at halftime.
Houston held the Celtics to just 17 points in the first quarter after allowing at least 30 points in the first quarter of each of their last four games. It was the fewest points the Rockets had allowed in a first quarter this season and they led 26-17 entering the second.
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