Published 09:24 IST, December 17th 2019
San Antonio Spurs blow 25-point lead as James Harden-led Rockets make historic comeback
NBA 2019-20: The Houston Rockets registered a 109-107 victory against the San Antonio Spurs. Here are the game's highlights, key moments and player ratings.
Houston Rockets defeated San Antonio Spurs 109-107 on Monday night (Tuesday morning IST). The match took place at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, USA. Russell Westbrook scored a game-high 31 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists for the Rockets. James Harden added 28 points. He had a slow start to the game, scoring only 2 points during Q1. Ben McLemore and Clint Capela scored 17 and 15 points respectively.
LaMarcus Aldridge scored 18 points, 13 rebounds and 4 assists for the Spurs. Bryn Forbes followed with 18 points. Dejounte Murray and Derrick White both finished the game with 16 points. Rudy Gay also scored 12 points.
NBA 2019-20: San Antonio Spurs vs Houston Rockets match report and highlights
The Rockets made a franchise record by overcoming a 25-point lead to beat the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs gained an early lead, outscoring the Rockets 35-21 during Q1. They extended their lead to 72-53 by half-time. The Rockets made a comeback and went on 13-4 run to reduce the Spurs lead to 99-97. The game was tied at 104 with just 2 minutes left on the clock, when PJ Tucker shot a corner 3 pointer, giving the Rockets their 3-point lead. Rudy Gay's layup decreased the score difference to 1-point, and Harden missed a three-pointer immediately after that. Bryn Forbes missed a three after Harden, who then made 2 free throws and extended the Rockets' lead to 109-106 with 16.2 seconds remaining in the game. The Spurs tried to comeback with seconds left, but the Rockets fouled on purpose. Derrick White intentionally missed his second free throw, but Westbrook took possession of the rebound and led the Rockets to their victory.
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NBA 2019-20: San Antonio Spurs vs Houston Rockets player ratings
Houston Rockets
- Russell Westbrook – 8/10
- James Harden – 7/10
- PJ Tucker – 5/10
- Danuel House – 4/10
- Gary Clark – 4/10
- Clint Capela – 6.5/10
- Ben McLemore – 6/10
- Austin Rivers – 4/10
San Antonio Spurs
- LaMarcus Aldridge – 7/10
- Dejounte Murray – 5.5/10
- DeMar DeRozan – 6/10
- Trey Lyles– 6/10
- Bryn Forbes– 6/10
- Patty Mills– 4.5/10
- Rudy Gay– 6/10
- Derrick White– 6/10
Updated 11:06 IST, December 17th 2019