In Charlotte

James Harden scored 29 points on Monday to lead Houston to a 100-94 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats that ended the Rockets' losing streak at seven games.

The Rockets overcame a 35-point effort from Charlotte's Kemba Walker, whose career-high scoring performance wasn't enough to prevent the Bobcats from enduring a club record 15th straight home defeat.

Harden scored 12 of his points in the fourth quarter, when Houston outscored Charlotte by a 26-13 margin.

Houston's bench came up big, with Marcus Morris delivering 21 points and eight rebounds and fellow reserve Carlos Delfino adding 16 points.

"We needed this win," Morris said. "We've just got to keep going and keep building from there."

Up by 11 at halftime, the Bobcats shot a dismal 21.1 percent - connecting on only 4-of-19 from the floor - in the final period.

Houston's Jeremy Lin was ineffective guarding Walker and didn't play in the fourth quarter.

"When Lin backed off me I was confident and I made them," Walker said of his six three-pointers.

Rockets coach Kevin McHale changed his strategy for containing Walker in the final period.

AFP

(China Daily 01/23/2013 page23)