In what ended up being a very tightly-contested game, the Houston Rockets were able to sneak out of Madison Square Garden with a win as they overcame a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to top the Knicks in overtime 116-111. One of the momentum-shifting plays in the extra period was this perfectly-executed alley-oop slam from Dwight Howard, who absolutely dropped the sledgehammer on an unwitting Kristaps Porzingis in the process. Howard had 14 points, six rebounds and a pair of assists on the night.
James Harden led the way for Houston with 26 points, but he was a paltry 10-of-28 from the field, including a frigid 0-of-7 from downtown. And his notoriously lackadaisical defensive efforts were on full display during a certain sequence toward the end of the first half. Nonetheless, the Rockets had a balanced attack that included five players scoring in double figures. One of those was second-year big man Clint Capela, who posted a huge double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds, to go along with three steals and a block.
It was Arron Afflalo’s best game of the season so far as he led the Knicks with 31 points on efficient 13-of-19 shooting. He also chipped in seven rebounds, four assists and a steal. Porzingis, despite his #RIP moment, had another monster double-double of 20 points and 13 rebounds. In the end, it was the Knicks’ 21 turnovers that led to 14 fastbreak points for the Rockets that aided their demise.
The Knicks will try to get back on track Wednesday against the visiting Philadelphia 76ers, who remain winless on the season and whose No. 2 Draft pick is mired in offcourt issues. The Rockets will travel to Detroit on Monday to play the Pistons on the second night of their back-to-back.
