HOUSTON - Rockets coach Kevin McHale lamented Houstons lack

[carrie201918]

HOUSTON - Rockets coach Kevin McHale lamented Houstons lack of effort in a lopsided loss to Golden State on Saturday.There was no such problem Monday.James Harden scored a season-high 45 points, including 18 in the third quarter, and the Rockets led from start to finish in a 110-98 win over the Indiana Pacers.I think the way we came out, thats the way we should come out every single game, Harden said. We focused on defence and offensively making it easy for each other. They didnt gain any ground on us because we kept being consistent with what we did.It was the 18th 30-point game and fourth with 40 this season for Harden, the NBAs leading scorer. He bounced back after scoring just 11 in the 131-106 loss to Golden State. He had a career-best 33 points after halftime.Houston led by 10 at the break and used a 33-point third quarter, thanks in large part to four 3-pointers from Harden, to push the lead to 20 entering the fourth.Hes having a special year, McHale said. A couple of those shots he made, theres nothing a defender can do.Pacers coach Frank Vogel raved about Harden, who is averaging 27.1 points per game.Hes having ... an MVP-type season, Vogel said. He has to be in that conversation and was just way too much for us tonight.The Pacers outscored Houston 30-21 in the final period, and a 5-0 run got them within eight with 2 1/2 minutes left. But Harden scored seven points after that to secure the victory.C.J. Miles had 23 points to lead the Pacers, who have lost five straight.Harden finished one point shy of his career high. Dwight Howard had 14 points and 17 rebounds for the Rockets.Corey Brewers jump shot to start the fourth quarter stretched Houstons lead to 91-68. Indiana answered with a 13-4 run to cut the deficit to 95-81 with 8 minutes left.Roy Hibbert cut Houstons lead to nine with a dunk midway through the third quarter before a 19-4 run by the Rockets pushed it to 86-62 with 2 minutes left in the period. Harden was unstoppable during that stretch, hitting three 3-pointers in just more than a minute late in the run. The Pacers missed five shots and turned the ball over twice as Houston padded the lead.Harden made four of six 3-pointers in the third quarter and almost had a fifth one. He stepped in front of a bad pass by Luis Scola with a second remaining and launched a shot from well beyond the 3-point line that swished through the net. But officials ruled that he didnt get it off in time.Indiana had cut the lead to six early in the second quarter when Brewer outscored the Pacers 6-2 over the next minute and a half to make it 35-25.The Pacers were down by 12 later in the quarter when they used a 13-2 spurt, with six points from Donald Sloan, to get to 41-40.Sloan had back-to-back turnovers after that to help the Rockets start a 14-5 run that left them up 55-45 at halftime. Jason Terry had seven points to power that surge.The Rockets led 11-2 early after making three 3-pointers in the first 3 minutes. Patrick Beverley made two in that span and Trevor Ariza hit the other one.The Pacers were down by 13 later in the quarter before using an 11-5 run to cut the lead to 22-15.Houston led 29-21 entering the second quarter.___TIP-INSPacers: G George Hill, out since Dec. 31 with a groin injury, is improving and could play soon. Vogel said Hill will be re-evaluated Tuesday. ... Ian Mahinmi had 14 rebounds.Rockets: Brewer scored 13 for his ninth double-digit game with the Rockets. ... Houston improved to 23-2 when leading at halftime.JONES IMPROVINGHouston forward Terrence Jones, who hasnt played since Nov. 3 because of nerve inflammation in his left leg, is improving and could return soon. McHale hasnt said when Jones will play again, but said recently that hes getting close. Jones is feeling good and is excited to be making progress.Its a blessing to be able to get up and down and finally move my leg a little bit, Jones said. Im able to jump and do a lot of things with the basketball that a couple of months ago I couldnt do at all.UP NEXTPacers: Visit Atlanta on Wednesday.Rockets: Visit Golden State on Wednesday. Quincy Williams II Jaguars Jersey . -- So much for concern that running back Marshawn Lynch would be absent from the Seattle Seahawks minicamp. Nick Foles Jersey . Jamies number grades given are out of five, with five being the best mark. Marc-Andre Fleury, Penguins (3) - Surrendered a tough first goal against on a deflection through the body short side. http://www.officialjacksonvillejaguarsp ... -jersey/.C. -- Duke sophomore Rodney Hood is entering the NBA draft. Marqise Lee Jaguars Jersey . The victory strengthened Liverpools position in the top four after Tottenham lost 1-0 at Norwich in the days late kickoff, cutting the north London club six points adrift of fourth place and the final Champions League slot for next season. Telvin Smith Womens Jersey . -- The Sacramento Kings and guard Jimmer Fredette have completed a buyout of his contract, clearing the way for the former BYU sensation to become a free agent.LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Kings might be the NHLs best defensive team, and they hadnt blown a two-goal lead in a loss in nearly a full calendar year. The Toronto Maple Leafs broke down that defence and pulled out an impressive road victory despite nearly running out of goalies along the way. Mason Raymond broke a tie with a short-handed goal early in the third period and the Maple Leafs snapped the Kings eight-game winning streak with a 3-2 victory Thursday night. James Reimer made 31 saves in the final two periods after replacing the injured Jonathan Bernier for the Leafs, who have won four of five. Captain Dion Phaneuf and Carl Gunnarsson also scored as Toronto beat both Southern California NHL clubs in a four-day span, albeit with a blowout loss at the Shark Tank sandwiched in between. "We need every point that we can possibly get," Toronto coach Randy Carlyle said. "Were in desperation mode as every team is, and we just found a way to gut it out. We gave up a two-goal lead, and we found a way to get a big goal." After the Leafs erased that early 2-0 deficit, Raymond put them ahead with 14:54 to play. Kopitar was stopped by Reimer on a golden scoring chance, and Raymond alertly countered on a 2-on-1 rush with James van Riemsdyk for Raymonds 19th goal. Bernier gave up two goals in the first period of his first game back in Los Angeles against the team that traded him last summer, but then sat out the final two periods with a lower-body injury. Reimer filled in admirably, making a number of stunning saves. "I wouldnt blow it up too big," Reimer said. "I just came in and did my job. Every time you go in is an opportunity." Reimer, who gave up six goals in San Jose, also got up quite slowly in the second period after getting an accidental blow to the head from Jarret Stoll when the goalie dived to stop a puck. Reimer eventually shook it off, but said he "got (his) bell rung." "I was sitting beside Bernier when that happened," said Nazem Kadri, who had two assists. "I told him to take off his pads. I might have to throw them on." Marian Gaborik had an early goal and an assist in his home debut with the Kings, who fell just short of matching the longest winning streeak in franchise history.dddddddddddd Anze Kopitar had a power-play goal and Jonathan Quick stopped 26 shots in his first loss since Feb. 3. After losing nine of 10 in a skid stretching into early February, the Kings won their final game before the Olympic break and hadnt lost since. This loss prevented the Kings from equaling their record nine-game streak in 2010. "Its a stinger every time you lose after a pretty strong road trip," Kopitar said. "We didnt want to start off a homestand with a loss. I dont know how they execute their system, but it seemed like they were skating and playing a tight-checking game. But it was just a case of our game tonight not getting it done." Gaborik still came through in the Slovak goal-scorers fourth game with the club, providing exactly the boost they sought for their sagging offence. Wearing their Forum-blue-and-gold throwback jerseys, the Kings went ahead just 1:57 in when the rebound of Drew Doughtys low shot went straight to Gaborik, who scored his seventh goal of the season. "I think its coming along," Gaborik said of his line with Kopitar and Justin Williams. "We had some chemistry with our line and created some chances, so I think its going the right way." Kopitar then scored a power-play goal on a beautiful cross-ice pass from Doughty, the gold medal-winning Canadian defenceman. Gunnarsson tied it up early in the second with just his second goal in 67 games this season. Bernier was the 11th overall pick in the 2006 draft by Kings general manager Dean Lombardi. He played 62 games for Los Angeles over five NHL seasons, but never managed to beat out Quick, a lower-round pick by a previous regime who eventually became the Kings Conn Smythe Trophy winner. Lombardi traded Bernier to Toronto in a deal for Ben Scrivens -- since traded to Edmonton -- and Matt Frattin, who was sent to Columbus in the deal for Gaborik. Bernier lost 3-1 to the Kings in Toronto in December. NOTES: Mike Richards accidentally shot the puck into teammate Justin Williams face with 3 minutes to play. Williams stayed in the game. ... Toronto scratched C Peter Holland, who has the flu. ... The Kings announced their 100th consecutive sellout at Staples Center since December 2011. ' ' '