Jaden McDaniels scored 25 points for a career best in the playoffs and spearheaded another stifling defensive performance by the Minnesota Timberwolves in a 105-93 victory over the Phoenix Suns to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round series.

Devin Booker scored a go-ahead layup with 4:51 remaining followed by a 3-pointer on the way to 32 points, and the Phoenix Suns beat the Golden State Warriors 108-104 on in a back-and-forth season opener for the Pacific Division powerhouses.

Hello everyone, this is KPRC 2 Sports Director Randy McIlvoy checking in with his week’s Rockets Newsletter!

Fred VanVleet scored 32 points, Gary Trent Jr. added 29 and the Toronto Raptors snapped a two-game skid with a 117-111 win over the Houston Rockets.

Jalen Green scored 27 points and Kevin Porter Jr. added 24 to lead the Houston Rockets to a 132-123 double-overtime victory over the Philadelphia 76ers as James Harden struggled through his return from injury.

Jalen Green scored 21 of his 30 points in the second half and the Houston Rockets overcame a 16-point deficit to stun the short-handed Phoenix Suns 122-121 on Friday night.

Jalen Green had 28 points and a career-high nine assists, Alperen Sengun added 21 points, a career-best 18 rebounds and seven assists, and the Houston Rockets beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 118-105.

Tyrese Haliburton had 19 points and the Indiana Pacers overcame a huge early deficit to beat the Houston Rockets 99-91 on Friday night.

Zion Williamson scored 26 points and Brandon Ingram iced the game with six points in a 13-0 run in the final 2:07 to power the New Orleans Pelicans to a 119-106 victory over the Houston Rockets on Saturday night.

Devin Booker scored 30 points, Cam Johnson added 19 and the Phoenix Suns won their fourth straight game by beating the Houston Rockets 124-109 on Sunday night.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 44 points and became Milwaukee’s career leader in successful free-throw attempts as the Bucks rolled to a 125-105 victory over the Houston Rockets on Saturday night.

Ja Morant scored 49 points and hit five 3-pointers to lead the Memphis Grizzlies to a 129-122 victory over the Houston Rockets on Friday night.

From the outside looking in, it’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel for a Houston Rockets team that finished with the NBA’s worst record for the past two seasons.

The Houston Rockets went 20-62 to finish with the NBA's worst record for the second straight season.

Anthony Edwards scored 33 points and Karl-Anthony Towns added 28 as the Minnesota Timberwolves built a huge lead and held on for a 139-132 win over the Houston Rockets.

Davion Mitchell, Damian Jones and Trey Lyles scored 24 points each, and the Sacramento Kings outlasted the Houston Rockets for a 121-118 win.

Dejounte Murray scored a career-high 33 points and the San Antonio Spurs held on for a 123-120 win over the Houston Rockets to inch closer to the final play-in spot in the Western Conference.

Alperen Sengun scored 27 points off the bench, Jalen Green had 25 points and the Houston Rockets defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 115-98 to complete a back-to-back sweep.

Christian Wood set career highs with eight 3-pointers and 39 points as the Houston Rockets used a huge late run to rally for a 115-97 win over the Washington Wizards.

Desmond Bane had 24 points and the Memphis Grizzlies overcame the absence of star Ja Morant with balanced scoring in a 122-98 victory over the NBA-worst Houston Rockets on Sunday.

Malcolm Brogdon scored 25 points and Goga Bitadze added 23, including two key baskets down the stretch, to help the Indiana Pacers beat the Houston Rockets 121-118 on Friday night.

Devin Booker scored 36 points,ikal Bridges added 26 and the NBA-leading Phoenix Suns beat the Houston Rockets 129-112 on Wednesday night for their third straight victory.

Rookie Jalen Green scored a career-high 32 points, including 10 in overtime, and the Houston Rockets outlasted the slumping Los Angeles Lakers for a 139-130 win Wednesday night.

Kevin Porter Jr. scored 29 points, Christian Wood added 28 points and 13 rebounds and the Houston Rockets beat the Memphis Grizzlies 123-112 on Saturday night to end a 12-game losing streak.

DeMarcus Cousins, starting in place of ailing Nikola Jokic, scored a season-high 31 points and the Denver Nuggets bounced back from a loss to beat the struggling Houston Rockets 116-101 on Friday night.

Donovan Mitchell had 37 points and Mike Conley scored nine points in overtime to help the Utah Jazz outlast the Houston Rockets 132-127.

Chuma Okeke scored a career-high 26 points to lead the Orlando Magic to a 119-111 win over the Houston Rockets in a game between the bottom teams in the NBA’s Eastern and Western Conferences.

Marcus Morris Sr. scored 27 points and Luke Kennard added 25 as the Los Angeles Clippers sped to a 17-point lead in the first half and cruised to a 142-111 victory over the Houston Rockets.

Devin Booker scored 24 points, Deandre Ayton added 23 and the NBA-leading Phoenix Suns extended their winning streak to seven games, rallying after Chris Paul was ejected to beat the Houston Rockets 124-121 on Wednesday night.

Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points.

Gary Trent Jr. scored a season-high 42 points, and the Toronto Raptors pushed their season-high winning streak to eight games with a 139-120 victory over the Houston Rockets.

Brandon Ingram scored 26 points and the New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Houston Rockets 110-97 on to extend their winning streak to four games.

Brandon Ingram scored 33 points and tied a career high with 12 assists as the New Orleans Pelicans used a big third quarter to take control of the game and get a 120-107 win over the Houston Rockets.

Keldon Johnson had 28 points and the San Antonio Spurs punctuated Zach Collins’ return from a nearly two-year absence with a 131-106 victory over the Houston Rockets on Friday night.

Stephen Curry scored 21 of his 40 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Golden State Warriors to a 122-108 win over the Houston Rockets Monday night.

Garrison Mathews scored 23 points, including five 3-pointers, to send the Houston Rockets to a 116-111 victory over the Utah Jazz.

Christian Wood had 23 points and 14 rebounds, Eric Gordon made a clutch bucket with 12.5 seconds remaining and the Houston Rockets held off the Sacramento Kings 118-112 on Sunday.

Eric Gordon had 31 points and the Houston Rockets overcame a career-high 32 from Dejounte Murray to beat the San Antonio Spurs 128-124, snapping a three-game skid.

Joel Embiid had 31 points and eight rebounds to lead the Philadelphia 76ers over the Houston Rockets 111-91 for their seventh straight win.

Karl-Anthony Towns scored a season-high 40 points, D’Angelo Russell added 22 points and 10 assists and the Minnesota Timberwolves won their fourth straight, beating the Houston Rockets 141-123.

Kevin Porter Jr. hit a 3-pointer from the right wing with 0.4 seconds left to give the Houston Rockets a 114-111 victory over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night.

Joel Embiid had 31 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists in the Philadelphia 76ers’ 133-113 win over the Houston Rockets.

Nikola Jokic scored 24 points and Facundo Campazzo added a career-high 22 as the Denver Nuggets used a huge second quarter to take control in a 124-111 win over the Houston Rockets.

Terry Rozier scored 27 points and made seven 3-pointers, and the Charlotte Hornets routed the Houston Rockets 123-99 for their second straight win.

Myles Turner had 32 points and 10 rebounds, Caris LeVert had 24 points and 11 assists, and the Indiana Pacers beat the Houston Rockets 118-106.

Jrue Holiday scored 24 points, Khris Middleton added 23 in his return from injury and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Houston Rockets 126-106 on Wednesday night to snap a two-game skid.

Christian Wood led a balanced attack with 21 points and eight rebounds as the Houston Rockets defeated the Detroit Pistons 116-107, handing the Pistons their 14th straight loss.

Darius Garland scored 21 points and Isaac Okoro added 20 as the Cleveland Cavaliers won their fifth straight game, a 124-89 rout of the Houston Rockets.

Eric Gordon scored 32 points, D.

The Houston Rockets won seven straight games after dropping 15 in a row, the first team in NBA history to have the lengthy slide and win streak in one season.

Dillon Brooks scored 25 points, Desmond Bane added 19 and the Memphis Grizzlies held on for a 113-106 victory over the Houston Rockets.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 41 points and 17 rebounds, and the Milwaukee Bucks snapped the Houston Rockets’ seven-game winning streak with a 123-114 victory.

Eric Gordon scored 21 points before being ejected in the fourth quarter and Garrison Mathews added 19 as the Houston Rockets extended their winning streak to seven games with a 114-104 victory over the shorthanded Brooklyn Nets.

Eric Gordon and Christian Wood both scored 23 points, and the Houston Rockets beat the New Orleans Pelicans 118-108 on Sunday night for their sixth straight win.

Eric Gordon scored 24 points and his short jumper with 1.6 seconds left lifted the Houston Rockets to their fifth consecutive win, 118-116 over the Orlando Magic.

Christian Wood had 24 points and a career-high 21 rebounds as the Houston Rockets won their third straight game with a 102-89 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Christian Wood scored a career-high 33 points and had 16 rebounds to help the Houston Rockets beat the Charlotte Hornets 146-143 in overtime on Saturday night.

Alec Burks scored 17 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, Evan Fournier added 19 and the New York Knicks handed the Houston Rockets their 14th consecutive loss with a 106-99 victory.

Ja Morant had 22 points, six rebounds and six assists, Jaren Jackson Jr. added 18 points as the Memphis Grizzlies defeated Houston 136-102, sending the Rockets to their 12th straight loss.

Jerami Grant scored a season-high 35 points to help the Detroit Pistons beat the Houston Rockets 112-104 on Wednesday night in a matchup of two of the worst teams in the NBA.

Jordan Poole scored 15 of his 25 points in the first quarter and the Golden State Warriors beat the Houston Rockets 120-107 on Sunday night.

LeBron James scored 14 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter, Russell Westbrook added 27 points and the Los Angeles Lakers swept back-to-back games against the Houston Rockets with a 119-117 victory.

Christian Wood had 31 points and 14 rebounds and Houston beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 124-91 on Friday night in the Rockets’ home opener.

The Houston Rockets were a franchise-worst 17-55 last season in the wake of the James Harden trade.

Georges Niang tied a career high with 24 points and the NBA-leading Utah Jazz beat the short-handed Houston Rockets 124-116 on Saturday night to reach 50 victories.

Julius Randle scored 31 points in three quarters to lead the New York Knicks to a 122-97 victory over the Houston Rockets.

Jordan Clarkson scored 22 points, Joe Ingles had 21 and the NBA-leading Utah Jazz beat the Houston Rockets 112-89 on Wednesday night.

Christian Wood scored 25 points, Kelly Olynyk added 24 and the Houston Rockets used a strong third quarter to rally past the Orlando Magic 114-110.

Jayson Tatum scored 26 points, Robert Williams had a career-high 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, and the Boston Celtics rolled to a 118-102 win over the Houston Rockets.

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Jaylen Nowell (4) shoots against Houston Rockets forward Sterling Brown (0) in the fourth quarter during an NBA basketball game, Friday, March 26, 2021, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Andy Clayton-King)(AP) – Karl-Anthony Towns had 29 points and 16 rebounds, and Juancho Hernangomez had 19 points off the bench as the Minnesota Timberwolves came back to beat the Houston Rockets 107-101 on Friday night. Towns had 14 points during the final stretch as the Timberwolves won for the fourth time in 15 games under new coach Chris Finch. After being held to three points in the second and third quarters, Towns came back to pull Minnesota ahead. Carelessness crept in and Houston took advantage.

NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)SACRAMENTO, Calif. – De’Aaron Fox had 30 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, and the Sacramento Kings sent the Houston Rockets to their 14th consecutive loss, 125-105 on Thursday night. Sacramento never trailed after a 15-0 run early in the second quarter. … Center Justin Patton picked up his fourth foul with 6:47 left in the second quarter. … Sacramento was called for two shot clock violations in the second quarter.

USA Basketball is a step closer to choosing the team that will play in this summer’s rescheduled Tokyo Olympics, releasing the names Thursday of 57 players who are part of the pool to fill the squad. It’s also already drawing major interest from some NBA stars who have yet to taste Olympic gold. USA Basketball will pare the list to a 12-person Olympic team by early summer. Jordan, who now plays for Brooklyn, is also a newcomer to the pool even though he was on the 2016 Olympic team. “But for USA Basketball to receive the commitment of so many outstanding players remains an indicator of the great honor of representing your country means to these men.”

Brooklyn Nets' James Harden drives to basket for a layup past Houston Rockets' Ben McLemore, left, during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, March 3, 2021, in Houston. 13 on his jersey, James Harden won so many games for the Houston Rockets. 13 had a triple-double for the Brooklyn Nets to send the reeling Rockets to their 13th straight loss. But the Nets scored the next eight points, with two 3s from Harden, to extend it to 113-97 midway through the quarter. Rockets: Eric Gordon missed a second straight game with a sore left knee.

HOUSTON – Collin Sexton scored 39 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers handed the hapless Houston Rockets their 12th straight loss with a 101-90 victory on Monday night. The Cavaliers scored the next four points with the help of a steal by Darius Garland to push the lead back to 10 a minute later. Sexton has scored 22 points or more in nine straight games. Though they couldn't pull it out late, the Rockets played better than they did in a 49-point loss to Memphis. “I believe in this group's competitiveness and their fight, especially coming off the loss we had last night," Houston coach Stephen Silas said.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - FEBRUARY 17: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives to the basket past DeMarcus Cousins #15 of the Houston Rockets during the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center on February 17, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Embiid had 31 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists and hit a key jumper late to help Philadelphia beat the Houston Rockets 118-113 on Wednesday night. Ben Simmons (illness) didn’t play for the 76ers a game after scoring a career-high 42 points and adding nine rebounds and 12 assists. It looked like Philadelphia’s star big man might be able to rest his aching back in the second half. He looked more spry at the start of the second half, scoring early with a pair of layups and a short jumper.

Houston Rockets' DeMarcus Cousins, right, gets possession of the ball next to Miami Heat's Jimmy Butler during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021, in Houston. (Carmen Mandato/Pool Photo via AP)(AP) – Jimmy Butler had a triple-double with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists and the Miami Heat overcame a slow start to beat the slumping Houston Rockets 101-94 on Thursday night. They remained up by 12 after a dunk by Adebayo before Houston used a 9-0 run to get to 97-94 with less than a minute to go. AdThe Heat missed two shots after that but got the rebound both times, with Butler grabbing the second one. The Heat used a 12-0 run to take a 70-59 lead in the third quarter and limited the Rockets to just 10 points in the quarter.

(Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Everywhere LaMelo Ball has played basketball, people have tried to change his 3-point shot. Victor Oladipo had 21 points to lead the Rockets, who shot 2 of 19 from the field and scored just seven points in the fourth quarter. Hornets coach James Borrego said he had some initial concerns about Ball's form prior to the NBA draft. AdCharlotte then held the Rockets without a field goal for more than 7 1/2 minutes to start the final quarter. Rockets coach Stephen Silas said he expects Wall and Gordon to play Tuesday night, but said Oladipo will sit out.

San Antonio Spurs forward DeMar DeRozan (10) drives to the basket in front of Houston Rockets forward Jae'Sean Tate, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Feb. 6, 2021, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)(AP) – DeMar DeRozan scored 30 points and the San Antonio Spurs held off a late charge from the Houston Rockets for a 111-106 victory Saturday night. John Wall made a layup for Houston with less than 30 seconds left, but Patty Mills hit two free throws for San Antonio to extend it to 109-104. Tucker made two free throws for Houston after that, but Rudy Gay made two for San Antonio to secure the victory. A 3-pointer by David Nwaba got Houston within eight in the third, but the Spurs scored the next five points to push it to 82-69.

Houston Rockets guard John Wall, left, handles the ball against Memphis Grizzlies forward Kyle Anderson in the second half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)MEMPHIS, Tenn. – John Wall scored 22 points, Eric Gordon added 20 and the Houston Rockets beat the Memphis Grizzlies 115-103 on Thursday night. Wall said the veteran Rockets have told Tate, a rookie, to stay within his game and take advantage of his shots, particularly corner 3s. Rookie Desmond Bane led the Grizzlies with 16 points, while Ja Morant added 15. After shooting 26% from 3-point range against the Thunder, the Rockets were 19 of 45 (42.2%) against Memphis. For the Houston game, select groups of season ticket holders were added to the previous groups, meaning up to 2,000 people or about 11% of capacity.

(AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)(AP) – Kenrich Williams scored 19 points Wednesday night, and the Oklahoma City Thunder bounced back from a 30-point loss to Houston two days earlier and beat the Rockets 104-87. The Rockets scored a season high for points on Monday and a season low on Wednesday. Eric Gordon scored 22 points and Victor Oladipo added 19 for the Rockets, whose win streak ended at six games. Rockets guard John Wall and Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed Wednesday’s rematch. Thunder: Oklahoma City announced Tuesday that starting point guard George Hill would miss at least four weeks with a thumb injury.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Eric Gordon scored 25 points and the Houston Rockets hit an NBA record-tying 11 3-pointers in a 48-point first quarter, cruising to a 136-106 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night. John Wall scored the first eight points for the Rockets and finished with 18 points, six rebounds and five assists. It was the second straight game the Rockets had a 48-point quarter. Oklahoma City (8-11) led 4-3 before the Rockets went on a 17-0 run and never looked back. The teams will have a day off before meeting against in Oklahoma City on Wednesday.

Houston Rockets' John Wall reacts during the second quarter against the Washington Wizards in an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, in Houston. (Carmen Mandato/Pool Photo via AP)(AP) – Victor Oladipo scored 25 points and the Houston Rockets shook off a terrible first quarter and held on late to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 104-101 on Thursday night. The Rockets got going after that, scoring the next six points, with a 3 from Oladipo, to make it 92-88. The Trail Blazers had a one-point lead before a 4-0 spurt by the Rockets gave Houston a 99-96 lead with less than two minutes to go. TIP-INSTrail Blazers: Carmelo Anthony had just six points after scoring a season-high 22 points in the last game.

Houston Rockets' John Wall reacts during the second quarter against the Washington Wizards in an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, in Houston. (Carmen Mandato/Pool Photo via AP)HOUSTON – John Wall scored 24 points in his first game against his former team, leading the Houston Rockets to a 107-88 victory over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night. He cooled off in the third, but got going again in the fourth to put the game away in his second game back after missing five with a sore left knee. Houston was leading by six when Wall re-entered the game with about seven minutes left. The Wizards called a timeout after that, and Wall yelled and jumped as he looked at the opposing bench before bounding back to the Houston side.

Victor Oladipo #7 of the Houston Rockets gets off a shot around Lauri Markkanen #24 of the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on January 18, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. CHICAGO – Zach LaVine scored 33 points, and the Chicago Bulls overcame a strong effort by Victor Oladipo in his Houston debut, beating the Rockets 125-120 on Monday night. Oladipo looked good in his first game for Houston, pouring in 32 points. Bulls: The Bulls held out rookie forwards Patrick Williams (bruised right hip) and Otto Porter Jr. (strained lower back). Bulls: The Bulls play at Charlotte on Friday before the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers visit on Saturday.

Jae'Sean Tate #8 of the Houston Rockets is tied up by Keldon Johnson #3 of the San Antonio Spurs #3 and LaMarcus Aldridge #12 at AT&T Center on January 16, 2021 in San Antonio, Texas. SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio couldn’t match the intensity of the short-handed Houston Rockets for three quarters, yet a strong finish by the Spurs was enough to snap a four-game home losing streak. “We played our best defense in the fourth quarter,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. He had 23 points, seven rebounds and three assists in 36 minutes during Houston’s 109-103 victory on Thursday. Spurs: Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon remains out, along with reserve center Drew Eubanks, due to the league’s health and safety protocols.

Kenyon Martin Jr. #6 of the Houston Rockets drives for two over Jakob Poeltl #25 of the San Antonio Spurs at AT&T Center on January 14, 2021 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)SAN ANTONIO – Christian Wood had 27 points and 15 rebounds, and the Houston Rockets rallied to beat the San Antonio Spurs 109-105 on Thursday night in their first game since trading away franchise cornerstone James Harden. Spurs veteran DeMar DeRozan missed a 15-footer with 0.4 seconds left, and San Antonio fouled P.J. The teams meet again Saturday at the AT&T Center in the finale of a two-game set in San Antonio. Spurs: San Antonio is 6-3 with LaMarcus Aldridge in the lineup.

Dallas was on top by 3 with about seven minutes remaining before using a 14-3 spurt, with seven points from Hardaway, to extend the lead to 106-92 with about 2½ minutes remaining. Carlisle was impressed that his team was able to slow Harden down and limit the Rockets to just 100 points. The Mavericks led by seven points to start the fourth before Houston opened the quarter with an 8-1 run to tie it with about 10 minutes remaining. The Mavericks finally ended a scoring drought with a 3-pointer by Hardaway with less than three minutes left in the quarter. But Doncic scored the last four points of the quarter to put the Mavericks up 84-77 entering the fourth.

Sacramento Kings' Buddy Hield (24) looks to pass ahead ofHouston Rockets' John Wall (1) during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Jan. 2, 2021, in Houston. (Carmen Mandato/Pool Photo via AP)HOUSTON – John Wall scored 28 points and the Houston Rockets beat the Sacramento Kings 102-94 on Saturday despite playing without an injured James Harden. “I just put in a lot of hard work and dedication to get to this point," Wall said. The Rockets scored the first nine points of the fourth quarter to extend their lead to 92-81 with about 8½ minutes left. Rockets: Houston hosts Dallas on Monday night and will play four of its next five games at home.

DENVER, COLORADO - DECEMBER 28: James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets drives to the basket against Gary Harris #14 of the Denver Nuggets in the third quarter at Ball Arena on December 28, 2020 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)DENVER – Nikola Jokic had 19 points, 18 assists and 12 rebounds for the 42nd triple-double of his career, and the Denver Nuggets beat the short-handed Houston Rockets 124-111 on Monday night for their first win of the season. Houston dressed nine players against the Nuggets following a two-point overtime loss at Portland in the season opener Saturday. Nuggets: Complete a back-to-back set with their first road game Tuesday night at Sacramento, which handed Denver a 124-122 overtime loss in Wednesday’s season opener.

(AP Photo/Steve Dykes)PORTLAND, Ore. – CJ McCollum scored 44 points, including a 3-pointer with 6.3 seconds left that gave the Portland Trail Blazers a 128-126 win over the Houston Rockets on Saturday night. Lillard’s layup pushed the Blazers ahead 125-123 with 30 seconds left in overtime, but Harden made a 3 to push the Rockets ahead with 15.3 seconds left. Then with 6.3 seconds left, the ball found McCollum again and the Blazers’ guard hit another long range shot putting Portland ahead 128-126. After Wood cut the Blazers lead to 123-120 with a layup, Harden tied the game again at 123 with 38.6 seconds left. Harden responded with a basket of his own to tie it again at 113 with 38.9 seconds left.

Houston Rockets' James Harden looks on during the second half of an NBA basketball game against tha San Antonio Spurs in Houston, Thursday, Dec. 17, 2020. (Carmen Mandato/Pool Photo via AP)The Houston Rockets are preparing to have only nine available players, James Harden among them, for their first two games of the season because of ongoing quarantine issues related to the coronavirus pandemic. The Rockets play their opener in Portland on Saturday and visit Denver on Monday. Harden being ineligible to play meant the Rockets did not have the eight available players needed to start a game, so what was to have been their opener on Wednesday against Oklahoma City was postponed. Ben McLemore and Kenyon Martin Jr. are not with the Rockets on the trip and are self-isolating, the team said.

The Trojans will host Santa Clara instead of Long Beach State, which had to cancel because of ongoing COVID-19 issues in its program. ___UCLA’s women’s basketball game at Oregon State on New Year’s Day has been postponed indefinitely. The Beavers announced a confirmed case of COVID-19 on Dec. 20. The team issued a statement Saturday announcing the positive test and saying it had closed its facility for tracing. The day's other suspended games include league leader Portsmouth against Swindon Town.

(AP Photo/Michael Wyke)HOUSTON – The Houston Rockets may be without three of their top players for a week, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. The report stated John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins and Eric Gordon could be put in 7-day quarantine for contact tracing. Charania also reports a Rockets staff member had a positive test, with Gordon put into contact tracing connected to that. Wall and Cousins were in a contact tracing situation Thursday after being around Kenyon Martin, Jr., who reportedly tested positive. — Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 25, 2020The Rockets have several players — including John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins and possibly more — currently facing seven-day quarantine per NBA contact tracing protocol, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.

Los Angeles Lakers' Anthony Davis (3) and P.J. James had 16 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists for the Lakers, who outrebounded the Rockets 52-26. Russell Westbrook had 25 points and James Harden had 21 for the Rockets, who got 19 from Eric Gordon and 14 from Austin Rivers. It was 57-41 Lakers at the break, meaning Houston had scored 79 points in its last 48 minutes of basketball. Rockets: Houston is one of the franchises that has overcome a 3-1 deficit, doing so against the Clippers in the second round of the 2015 playoffs.

Markieff Morris scored 16 points for the Lakers. James took only 15 shots in Game 1 and was scoreless in the fourth quarter of the Lakers' 112-97 loss, but he was dominant on both ends in the final period of this one. He had eight points in the quarter and a powerful blocked shot on Russell Westbrook that flew far out of bounds. James Harden scored 27 points and Eric Gordon made six 3-pointers and added 24 for the Rockets, who made 22 3-pointers. Tucker had 18 points and Robert Covington 17, but Westbrook finished only 4 for 15 while scoring 10 points and grabbing 13 rebounds.

He had eight points in the quarter and a powerful blocked shot on Russell Westbrook that flew far out of bounds. James Harden scored 27 points and Eric Gordon made six 3-pointers and added 24 for the Rockets, who made 22 3-pointers. James scored six quick points in the second to make it 42-21. NOT THAT UNUSUALDespite the focus on the Rockets style, DAntoni said the Rockets arent that different than other NBA teams. The Clippers would play the winner of this series if they beat Denver in the other West semifinal.

James Harden, Russell Westbrook and the Houston Rockets are the opponent when the top-seeded Lakers open the Western Conference semifinals Friday night. The Rockets' debut of their small-ball style was a big success when they beat the Lakers 121-111 in Los Angeles on Feb. 6 behind 41 points from Westbrook. Its a contrast from the last series but excited about what we hope to accomplish with this series, Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. GORDON'S GAMEEric Gordon also scored 21 points for the Rockets in Game 7, making five 3-pointers. SEASON SERIESThe Rockets went 2-1 against the Lakers, though James sat out Houston's 16-point victory at Disney on Aug. 6.

James Harden scored 36 points and the Houston Rockets ran away from the Lakers 112-97 on Friday night, the second straight round the No. Russell Westbrook added 24 points, nine rebounds and six assists, and Eric Gordon had 23 points for the Rockets, the No. They forced 17 turnovers that led to 27 turnovers and played the much bigger Lakers even on the backboards. The Lakers playing for only the second time in 11 days. Lakers: Assistant coach Jason Kidd missed the game because of what coach Frank Vogel said were severe back spasms.

Houston Rockets' P.J. That was a fortunate turn of events for the Houston Rockets. We need him.Schroder led the Thunder with 19 points 18 of them in the second quarter, when Oklahoma City had its only lead of the game. Steven Adams had 12 points and 14 rebounds, and Darius Bazley had 10 points and 12 rebounds for the Thunder. Houston scored 20 of the games first 27 points, but the Thunder erased the deficit in the second -- taking a brief lead of as many as five points -- before the Rockets took a 48-45 lead into the half.

The Rockets will take a 3-2 series lead into Game 6 against the Thunder in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, on Monday night. Dennis Schroder led the Thunder with 19 points in Game 5 18 in the second quarter, when Oklahoma City had its only lead of the night. If the Rockets win Monday, they would play Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday. INJURY WATCH: Rockets G Russell Westbrook (quad) returned for Game 5, with seven points and seven assists in just under 24 minutes. The Lakers would get nearly a full week to rest if the Rockets dont win Game 6.