SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- James Harden had 26 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Houston Rockets to a tough 96-85 victory over the Utah Jazz, claiming their 13th straight win.
Playing back-to-back at high altitude after a close match at Denver, the Rockets struggled in the first half, making only two three-pointers out of 16. If it weren't for James Harden, who scored 8 consecutive points at the end of the second quarter, the Rockets would have started the second half with a double-digit deficit.
But the Jazz could not hold on to their advantage, committing 22 turnovers, from which the Rockets gained 20 points. In the absence of Eric Gordon, Clint Capela and Ryan Anderson, Luc Mbah a Moute rose to the occasion as he went 7 for 7, scoring 15 in the fourth quarter to help the Rockets seal the victory. Chris Paul contributed 15 points.
The Jazz failed to maintain momentum after winning 12 of their last 13 games, with Rudy Gobert adding 16 points and 6 rebounds, while Donovan Mitchell made 16 points but with 8 turnovers.
