Harden hot streak ignites Rockets

Houston star's second straight triple-double sends ominous warning to rivals

MEMPHIS, Tenn.－James Harden may be getting on a roll, notching his second straight triple-double to help the Houston Rockets grab their third consecutive win.

Harden had 32 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, and the Rockets weathered a fourth-quarter burst to beat the Grizzlies 105-97 on Saturday night.

Harden, who had 50 points in a triple-double in the Rockets' victory over the Lakers on Thursday, recorded his 10th assist on a pass to Clint Capela with 21.3 seconds left as the Grizzlies tried to trap defensively in hopes of whittling the Houston lead in the final minute.

Asked if he would have gotten the assist without the Memphis defensive pressure, Harden replied with a sly grin through his thick, black beard : "That's a good question. You never know, right?"

Capela's basket gave him 26 points to go with 10 rebounds. Gerald Green scored 17 points.

Mike Conley led Memphis with 22 points, while Marc Gasol added 17 points and nine rebounds. JaMychal Green had 13 points.

The Rockets made 13 3-pointers, near their average, compared to only five for the Grizzlies.

"We've got to do a better job of getting there," Memphis coach JB Bickerstaff said of his team's 3-point defense. "We've got schemes in place to protect us from those, and we were just late in our rotations."

The Rockets appeared to be coasting in the fourth, holding a 15-point lead with about seven minutes remaining, but Memphis clicked off a 14-5 run to cut it to 97-91. But the Grizzlies got no closer.

The run was fueled by rookie Jevon Carter making his first appearance of the season. He finished with 11 points with a couple of steals and a blocked shot. His defense sparked the Grizzlies' rally that at least made the ending interesting.

"It was just good to be out there," Carter said of his debut. "It was fun. I'm a competitor. I want to play against the best and at this level."

A trio of 3-pointers by Gerald Green reversed the momentum gained when Memphis scored 11 straight points to open the third period. Green collected 12 points in the third, helping Houston maintain a 79-65 lead in the fourth.

AP