Houston (USA), .- The escort James Harden continued as the undisputed leader of the Houston Rockets to get 30 points in just three quarters that helped his team to win easily by beating 149-113 to the Suns of Phoenix, in what was the sixth consecutive win.
The Rockets (53-28) also set a new NBA 3-pointer by winning 27 and beating the 26-man team they had against the Sacramento Kings this season.
The guard Eric Gordon contributed 26 points and tied his best mark as a professional to score eight triples, Harden made five, forward P.J.Tucker got four and guard-forward Danuel House made three baskets from outside the perimeter for the Rockets.
Forward Gary Clark tied the score of 26 with three minutes to go and after the Rockets failed the other three attempts of triples, the base Austin Rivers hit the triple number 27 of the game that established the new mark in the NBA.
The Rockets in the absence of a game to conclude the regular season, will play on Tuesday against the Thunder, in Oklahoma City, need to get the victory or that the Portland Trail Blazers lose one of the three remaining games to play, including tonight, to get hold the third position in the Western Conference.
A draw with the Trail Blazers would be lost because the Portland team won them the series they both played during the regular season.
The Rockets’ triumph was the second they achieved under the direction of assistant coach Jeff Bzdelik, who is in charge of Mike D’Antoni, who has been sidelined with a stomach infection and is not sure he will travel with the team to Oklahoma City.
Bzdelik, responsible for the entire defensive system of the team, at the end of the third period decided to rest all the starters without any player playing in the fourth period.
Harden is the second game in which he does not leave in the fourth period which will allow him to have more rest when the playoffs arrive after having had during the regular season an average of 37 minutes per game.
Veteran reserve guard Jamal Crawford with 27 points led the decimated attack by the Suns (19-62), which had the losses of his best scorers, base Devin Booker and forward Kelly Oubre. (EFE)
