EditorsNote: Changed to Harden missing 16 of 17 3-pointers in graf 4; other minor edits
Dennis Schroder scored 15 fourth-quarter points and teamed with Danilo Gallinari to rally the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder to a 112-107 win over the Houston Rockets on Monday.
Gallinari scored 12 of his 25 points in the fourth as the Thunder erased a 15-point deficit in the final period and won for the seventh time in their last eight games on the road. They did so despite a quiet second half from Chris Paul, who tallied just one point after posting 27 prior to halftime.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (13 points, 10 rebounds) turned his steal against Rockets guard James Harden into a dunk that gave the Thunder the lead for good at 106-105 with 1:13 left.
Harden struggled mightily throughout, missing 16 of 17 3-pointers while scoring 29 points. Russell Westbrook posted a triple-double of 32 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists, but his errant 3 with 8.8 seconds left represented the Rockets' final gasp.
Houston has dropped four consecutive games and lost the season series against the Thunder with two losses this month.
The Rockets appeared in control when Westbrook converted a backcourt steal into a layup for a 100-85 lead with little more than seven minutes remaining. But when Schroder delivered a driving layup for the Thunder, it sparked a sudden 13-0 run that featured two Gallinari 3s and three Gallinari free throws and that pulled Oklahoma City to within 100-98 with 4:27 remaining.
Although the collapse wasn't complete at that point, the Rockets proved unable to stem the tide.
Gallinari added another 3 that pulled the Thunder even before Schroder completed the rally with another driving layup, a pair of free throws, and a pull-up jumper in the lane over Harden to lift the Thunder to a 110-107 lead with 28.1 seconds left.
Westbrook then missed his corner 3.
Paul scored 20 points in a sizzling second period on 6-for-7 shooting. Yet Houston extended its 25-22 lead entering the second to 64-57 at the break, with Harden drilling his lone 3 with 3.1 seconds left in the half.
Harden and Westbrook combined for 34 points by the break.
--Field Level Media
