Rockets Hold On, Defeat Cavs In Thrilling Encounter

The Houston Rockets defeated the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers, 117-113, at
Toyota Center on Thursday night. The Rockets (9-3) played a bit sloppy and their
shooting was far from accurate, but they still managed to come out on top
against a resilient Cleveland (5-7) team that refused to surrender despite being
down for the majority of the game. The Cavaliers held a 67-65 at the break, but
the Rockets answered with a 35-26 lead in the following 12 minutes to build a
seven-point advantage heading into the fourth. They would never relinquish that
lead and even though the Cavs fought back, Houston came out on top in the end in
one of the most contested games of the regular season so far. James Harden led
the Rockets with a stellar offensive effort, as the All-Star guard finished with
35 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds. Clint Capela added a double-double of 19
points and 13 boards, while Eric Gordon chipped in with 20 points. P.J. Tucker
(11 points) and Nene (10 points) produced nicely off the bench as well.
Meanwhile, LeBron James paced Cleveland’s offense with 33 points, seven assists
and four boards, but his strong effort wasn’t enough. Jeff Green displayed a
solid effort off the bench with 27 points and five rebounds, while Kevin Love
(17 points) and J.R. Smith (15) scored in double digits as well. Dwyane Wade was
a disappointment, however, as he only accounted for eight points. Cleveland’s
next game will be against the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday, while the Rockets
will take on the Indiana Pacers on Sunday.