HOUSTON — James Harden used the final appearance for Kobe Bryant in Houston as his personal stage, coming alive in the fourth quarter of the Houston Rockets’ 130-110 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday at Toyota Center.
Harden scored 20 of his game-high 40 points in the final period and added 13 assists and four steals to lift the Rockets (39-41) to a critical victory with their postseason hopes hanging in the balance.
Houston needed the outburst, because Bryant finished with 35 points on 10-of-22 shooting in just 27 minutes, doing most of his damage in the first and third quarters.
After the Lakers closed to within four points in the fourth quarter, Harden tallied a fast-break dunk and three 3-pointers to push the lead to 13 points. When Bryant checked out with 1:41 remaining to thunderous applause, the Rockets led 124-110.
Trevor Ariza and Patrick Beverley scored 19 points apiece for the Rockets, who hit 17 of 41 3-pointers.
Jordan Clarkson added 12 points for the Lakers, who dropped their 12th consecutive road game.
After scoring 15 points to a chorus of cheers in the first quarter, Bryant turned it on again in the third after sitting out the entire second period.
The Rockets extended their lead to 76-64 when Harden followed a fabulous blocked shot by Dwight Howard with a seven-foot floater at the 5:56 mark of the third quarter. Bryant responded with a 9-0 run, converting a baseline drive, a 3, a reverse layup, and a pull-up jumper in the lane.
When Jason Terry rebuilt the Rockets’ double-digit lead with a 3-pointer with 21.8 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Bryant exhausted the clock before nailing a 28-footer with Ariza draped all over him to push the Lakers into the fourth.
Bryant scored 14 points in the third and, better still, provided the Lakers with momentum they carried into the final period with an 8-0 spurt. But that’s when Harden appeared to have had enough with the vocal Lakers contingent and the possibility of another embarrassing loss.
The Lakers were as dependent upon Bryant in the early going, following his 10 points over five minutes to a 16-16 deadlock after falling behind 9-2 out of the gate. Bryant added a 3-pointer to match Harden late in the first and two free throws for a 29-27 deficit.
NOTES: The NBA recently announced that the Lakers’ season finale against the Jazz would be bumped from ESPN in favor of Warriors-Grizzlies on Wednesday night with Golden State pursuing the Bulls’ single-season record for victories (72). Shifting the final game in the career of Kobe Bryant to ESPN2 surprised some given the close over his career. “I don’t necessarily look at it as being trumped because we weren’t scheduled to be on to begin with,” Lakers coach Byron Scott said. … Rockets interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff continues to tinker with the rotation even as the regular season draws to a close and with Houston in pursuit of a postseason berth. “I’m trying to find combinations that get it done,” Bickerstaff said. … The Rockets entered the final week of the regular season in ninth place in the West having lost seven of 10 games. Bickerstaff said the Rockets “got caught up” in must-win games and having to win out, which has adversely affected their performance.