HOUSTON -- James Harden scored a season-high 43 points and Clint Capela added 27 as the Houston Rockets held off the Detroit Pistons to get their fifth straight win, 126-124 on Wednesday night.
Houston has won eight of its last 10 after winning just one of its first six games and improved to 9-7 this season.
The Rockets led by 14 with about five minutes left, but Blake Griffin made five 3-pointers that helped Detroit cut the lead to four points with about 90 seconds left. Houston struggled to contain Griffin late after defensive stopper P.J. Tucker was ejected in the third quarter after he received two technical fouls for arguing with officials.