James Harden’s heroics led the Rockets once again as the team beat the Suns by a score of 118-110 on Monday night.
By the end of the night, Harden tallied 44 points on the scoreboard to go with eight rebounds and six assists. He connected on 15 shots on 26 attempts in a very efficient shooting night for the Rockets.
The Rockets lead the affair wire to wire, never surrendering the lead they earned just 29 seconds into the game.
In the first half, the Suns kept it close thanks to efficient scoring but the Rockets kept strangling the lead.
In the third quarter, the lead leapt to as much as 20 as the supporting cast for the Rockets stepped up to the plate.
Kenneth Faried continued his strong start for the Rockets with 17 points and 14 rebounds, while Chris Paul scored 18 points in his best game since returning from injury.
James Ennis III also knocked down 13 points as he started in place of Eric Gordon, who did not play in the game due to right leg tightness.
In the fourth quarter, the Suns shaved the deficit from 20 to 10 after a 10-0 run at the beginning of the quarter. However, the Rockets’ lead was never in jeopardy as the team kept their distance from the Suns.
For Phoenix, Josh Jackson led the team with 25 points and Houstonian Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 23 off the bench.
For the Suns, this game marked their eleventh straight loss. Their last win came on January 13th when they defeated the Nuggets, the only team the Rockets have failed to beat on the current four-game road trip.
The Rockets’ road trip comes to a close on Wednesday when the team heads to Sacramento to face the Kings. Tipoff is at 9 p.m.