Rockets overcome 25 point deficit to top Spurs 109-107

Posted: December 17, 2019 -- 10:09 a.m. CT

HOUSTON, TX (Toyota Center) -- Monday night, the Houston Rockets erased a 25 point deficit to defeat the San Antonio Spurs 109-107. The 25 point deficit is the largest deficit the Rockets have overcome in a win in franchise history (previous: 23 vs. Portland on January 22, 1977).

After the game, Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich said, "Some ways, it's just like your worst nightmare to go up 20 quickly, because you know the thing is going to turn to some degree. The way it was an even game down the stretch is pretty much what you would expect most of the time, that's why it's a game."

The game was the definition of the sports cliché' "a tale of two halves". San Antonio shot 57.4% (27 for 47, including 10 for 17 on three-point attempts) while Houston shot 40.4% (21 for 52, 5 for 20 on threes) in the first half. San Antonio led 72-53 at halftime.

In the second half, the Spurs shot 26.7% (12 for 45, 2 for 16 threes) while the Rockets shot 41.3% (19 for 46, 6 for 23 on threes).

Russell Westbrook was the Rockets' only consistent scorer and shot maker in the opening 24 minutes. Westbrook scored 25 points in the first half on 10 for 16 field goal shooting. James Harden, in contrast, shot 4 for 17 and scored only 9 points.

Harden scored five points in the final 31 seconds in the half on a short jump shot and his only three-point basket of the half which beat the halftime buzzer.

Despite his 4 for 17 shooting in the first half, Harden said his confidence never wavered.

"My confidence is never gone," Harden remarked. "Like, no matter if I go 0-20 or whatever. I'm always going to shoot the basketball and be aggressive, and early (in the game) they weren't falling. I made a couple of shots to cut the lead down, and other guys tonight stepped up."

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The Rockets scored the first five points of the third quarter and outscored the Spurs 29-17 in the period. Harden scored 12 points in the third. Westbrook scored 6.

In the fourth quarter, Harden sank a three-point shot to tie the game at 97 with 5:18 remaining. The 97-all tie was the first time the game had been tied since the score was 2-2.

Forward Danuel House Jr scored a tough driving layup for a 99-97 Rockets' lead; then, Harden slam dunked for a 4 point lead.

San Antonio's Derrick White made a three-point shot to trim Houston's lead to 101-100. Then, the game was tied at 101 and at 104 before P.J. Tucker made a three-point shot for a 107-104 lead with 2:34 left in the game.

Neither team scored for nearly two minutes until Spurs' forward Rudy Gay banked in a driving layup to cut Houston's lead to 107-106 with 29.6 seconds on the game clock.

Harden missed a contested three-point shot; and, Spurs' guard Bryn Forbes got a wide open look in the corner for three; but, his shot rolled around the rim and out. The Spurs were forced to foul and sent Harden to the foul line with 16.2 seconds remaining. Harden made both free throws for a 109-106 lead.

San Antonio called timeout. After the timeout, Forbes missed another three-point shot. Forbes made his first six 3-point shots in the game; but, he missed his last three 3-point attempts.

Houston center Clint Capela rebounded Forbes' missed shot; however, Capela turned over the ball and gave the Spurs another chance to tie the game. Instead of allowing the Spurs a three-point shot attempt, Harden committed a foul; and, since Houston was not yet in the foul situation, Tucker committed another foul to send Derrick White to the line with 2.7 seconds remaining.

White made the first free throw and intentionally missed the second foul shot. Russell Westbrook pulled down the missed shot and tossed the ball high into the air as the game clock expired to clinch the win for Houston.

After the game Westbrook was asked what was discussed in the locker room at halftime when Houston trailed 72-53.

Russ answered, "There was no discussion. Discussion was to go out and play hard. That's it. We played hard and put ourselves in a position to be able to do that.

Houston improves to 18 and 9 while the Spurs are now 10 and 16.

NOTES:

James Harden scored 19 of his 28 points in the second half. Harden also had a game-high 7 assists which gives him 4,402 assists for his career as a Rocket, tying NBA Hall-of-Famer Calvin Murphy for the most assists in franchise history. The Rockets improve to 3-5 when Harden scores below 34 points this season.

Ben McLemore led all bench players with 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting. Over the past nine games, McLemore is averaging 17.3 points per game on 52.9% shooting after averaging 7.3 points per game on 33.3% shooting the first 18 games of the season. McLemore hit 4 3-pointers in the game and has hit 4 or more threes in nine of the past 16 games after not having more than 3 threes in any of the first 11 games.

Houston is 3-3 in games decided by three or fewer points this season after going 5-7 in such games last season.

Russell Westbrook scored a game-high 31 points, marking his second time scoring 30 or more points as a Rocket -- both coming over his past five games played. He has led Houston in scoring three times this season. Besides Harden, no Rocket led/tied the team in scoring more than three times in 2018-19. Over his past five games played, Westbrook is averaging 27.0 points per game on 53.1% shooting.

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