HOUSTON — Center Dwight Howard delivered on both ends of the court and the Houston Rockets relied on outstanding 3-point shooting to outlast the Sacramento Kings 120-113 on Saturday at Toyota Center.
With Howard producing 22 points, 18 rebounds and exceptional defense against Kings center DeMarcus Cousins, the Rockets (10-11) won for the fifth time in six games. Guard James Harden added 31 points and nine assists while forward Terrence Jones had 16 points off the bench.
Harden hit 5 of 6 from 3-point range while Houston shot 16 of 34 from behind the arc. Forward Trevor Ariza and guard Patrick Beverley hit three 3s apiece.
Cousins finished with 14 points on 4 of 16 shooting and nine rebounds before fouling out late in the fourth quarter. Guard Rajon Rondo posted his ninth double-double with 13 points and 19 assists while guard Ben McLemore scored 19 points and grabbed nine boards.
All five starters scoring in double figures for the Kings (7-14). Darren Collison chipped in 18 points off the bench.
Rondo dominated the third quarter with eight points and eight assists. He penetrated at will against Rockets guards, and when Houston closed off his lane access following a pair of layups and two floaters, Rondo started picking apart the defense with precise passing.
His assist on McLemore’s 3 with 4:27 left in the third allowed the Kings to push ahead 72-70. The Kings shot 14 of 20 in the period, including 3 of 6 on 3-pointers. And after scoring 34 points to erase a 13-point deficit entering the second quarter, the Kings added 35 points in the third period to take a one-point lead heading into the fourth.
When the Kings went more than four minutes without scoring late in the first quarter, such scoring exploits seemed improbable. The Rockets took advantage with a 13-0 run in building a 15-point lead at 29-14. But their lax ball security in the second paved the way for a Kings comeback.
Houston committed seven turnovers in the second period, fueling Sacramento in transition while inhibiting the ability to build on the lead. McLemore scored 11 points in the period, serving as the hottest of the Kings. McLemore cut the deficit to 46-45 with a transition dunk at the 1:32 mark, but consecutive 3s from Corey Brewer and Harden allowed the Rockets to hold on to their lead.
NOTES: Rockets PF/C Donatas Motiejunas made his season debut, completing a long recovery from back surgery that cost him the final 11 games and the entire postseason last year. All told, Motiejunas missed 48 games bridging the two seasons. … With Kings rookie C Willie Cauley-Stein set to miss up to six weeks after suffering a right index finger open dislocation against the Celtics on Thursday, Sacramento coach George Karl isn’t yet ready to discuss exactly how his rotation will change. Kings C Kosta Koufos started alongside C DeMarcus Cousins for the first time since the season opener, and Karl acknowledged that F Quincy Acy and F Caron Butler could see more playing time with Cauley-Stein sidelined. … Rockets PG Ty Lawson appears to finally be rounding into form, averaging 10.3 points and 3.3 assists over his last three games after failing to score in double figures in 11 consecutive games. When asked if Lawson was looking more like the player he coached in Denver, Kings coach George Karl quipped, “Yeah, unfortunately.”