ROCKETS 115, THUNDER 111
HOUSTON -- Russell Westbrook put up gaudy numbers on Wednesday night.
The Houston Rockets got a more modest performance from James Harden, but a collective scoring effort helped them rally for a 115-111 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round Western Conference playoff series.
"It wasn't pretty," Harden said. "We didn't make a lot of shots. We gave them the early lead and we had to fight our way back and we did. We didn't give up. We continued to fight and grind and figure out a way to win."
Harden scored 35 points and the Rockets overcame 51 points from Westbrook in the highest-scoring triple-double in playoff history. Westbrook set a franchise playoff scoring record and added 13 assists and 10 rebounds. It was the sixth career playoff triple-double for Westbrook, who had an NBA-record 42 in the regular season.
But he shot just 4 for 18 in the fourth quarter and the Rockets clawed back from a double-digit deficit.
He was not in the mood to talk about his statistics after the game.
"I don't give a [expletive] about the line," he said before glaring at reporters. "We lost."
Thunder Coach Billy Donovan thought Westbrook might have gotten tired late after playing the entire fourth quarter, but Westbrook brushed off that notion.
"Nah, I was all right," he said.
Game 3 is Friday night in Oklahoma City.
The game was tied before Houston scored 10 consecutive points with three-pointers from Harden, Patrick Beverley (Arkansas Razorbacks) and Eric Gordon to make it 114-104 with 1:22 remaining.
"Down the stretch you've just got to be ready," Gordon said. "James draws a lot of attention. So I was ready for that shot. It was great timing to knock down a shot like that."
Westbrook had four consecutive points to start a 7-1 run after that, but the Thunder wouldn't get any closer.
This was a much different game than the series opener, when Houston routed the Thunder 118-87. On Wednesday night, Houston trailed by as many as 15 and didn't take a lead until the fourth quarter.
The Rockets benefited from a balanced scoring attack, with Lou Williams adding 21, Gordon scoring 22 off the bench and Game 1 star Beverley chipping in 15.
Wednesday was the 31st time this season that Williams has scored 20 or more points off the bench this season. He is one of just four players since 1993-94 to score at least 20 points off the bench at least 30 times in a season.
"We looked like we needed some energy, looked like we needed a spark and I think in the first and second half [the second unit] was able to do it," Williams said.
Houston used a big run early in the fourth quarter to go on top for the first time in the game with about eight minutes remaining. Harden's three-pointer about three minutes later made it 104-100.
Andre Roberson added a tip-in layup for the Thunder before two free throws by Westbrook tied it at 104-104 with about three minutes left.
The Thunder led by seven with about nine minutes left in the third quarter before Westbrook had four quick points to extend the lead to 79-68. Houston scored the next six points, but Oklahoma City answered with seven points in a row after that, with five from Westbrook, to extend the lead to 86-74 with about three minutes left in the quarter.
The Thunder led by as many as 15 points in the first half, but Houston had cut the lead to 68-62 at halftime.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
WIZARDS 109, HAWKS 101
WASHINGTON -- In a rough-and-tumble, foul-filled game, Bradley Beal took over in the fourth quarter with 16 of his 31 points, including a key late three-pointer, helping the Washington Wizards beat the Atlanta Hawks for a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round series.
John Wall earned chants of "M-V-P!" while finishing with 32 points and nine assists, including the assist to Beal for his three-pointer with 38 seconds remaining that sealed the victory for the Wizards.
Washington, which trailed 78-74 entering the final quarter, won despite only a combined seven points from starting forwards Markieff Morris and Otto Porter Jr., who were both in foul trouble early.
The series now shifts to Atlanta for Game 3 on Saturday.
Paul Millsap led the Hawks with 27 points and 10 rebounds, and Dennis Schroder scored 23 points. Dwight Howard had only seven rebounds, half his Game 1 total, and scored six points.
Millsap scored 14 points in the third quarter, including six during a 13-0 run by the Hawks that took them from a deficit to a 74-67 edge with a little more than 3½ minutes left in that period. But Beal and Wall were too much in the fourth, with some help from backup point guard Brandon Jennings, who accounted for eight consecutive Wizards points during one stretch -- making three baskets and assisting on another.
Washington led 51-43 at halftime. There were 29 personal fouls in the opening 24 minutes, 55 for the game.
NBA playoffs glance
(Best-of-7) WEDNESDAY’S GAMES
Washington 109, Atlanta 101
Washington leads series 2-0
Houston 115, Oklahoma City 111
Houston leads series 2-0
Golden State 110, Portland 81
Golden State leads series 2-0 TODAY’S GAMES — All times Central
Cleveland at Indiana, 7 p.m.
Cleveland leads series 2-0
Toronto at Milwaukee, 8 p.m.
Series tied 1-1
San Antonio at Memphis, 9:30 p.m.
San Antonio leads series 2-0
Sports on 04/20/2017