HOUSTON (AP) After scoring 27 points in the first half against his former team, Chris Paul was on the bench during a big Oklahoma City run in the fourth quarter when a Thunder fan began yelling at coach Billy Donovan to put the veteran guard back in the game.
Paul turned to the man and gave him a look that indicated the group on the floor was doing just fine before asking him: Do you not see the score?
Paul scored 28 points and Danilo Gallinari added 25 as the Thunder rallied from a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat cold-shooting James Harden and the Houston Rockets 112-107 on Monday.
While Paul exulted in what he said might be his teams best win of the season, Harden delayed his postgame shower for some extra work on his shooting after the Rockets lost their season-worst fourth straight.
Harden spent about 25 minutes on the court before returning to the locker room, and it was hard to argue he didnt need the practice. The former MVP scored 29 points but went 1 of 17 from 3-point range in an astonishingly inefficient performance.
Just trying to get back to the basics, he said. I think when youre struggling you just try to get back to the fundamentals and the basics of your shot and form, form shooting and things like that. Staying with your shot. And just all repetition.
Former Thunder player Russell Westbrook had 32 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds for Houston.
Gallinari and Dennis Schroder, who scored 17 of his 23 points after halftime, carried the Thunder after the break.
It was fun to see how guys stayed together, stayed the course and fought back, Paul said.
Houston coach Mike DAntoni was asked what went wrong.
Couldnt make a shot, didnt make foul shots, he said. Right now were at a period where if something is going to go bad, its bad and when it rains, it pours. And its pouring.
Oklahoma City used a 6-0 run, highlighted by a dunk from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after he stole the ball from Harden, to put the Thunder up 108-105 with about a minute left.
Harden made a layup for Houston to cut the lead to one, but Schroder made a jump shot with 28 seconds remaining to make it 110-107. Russell Westbrook missed a 3-pointer on the other end and Gilgeous-Alexander added two free throws to secure the victory.
Dennis and Gallinari offensively, made some really really big shots to get us back in the game, Donovan said. And then we got some timely stops and some good rebounds. So it really was an amazing job by those guys.
Houston had a 15-point lead before the Thunder scored 13 straight points to get within 100-98 with 4 1/2 minutes to go. Gallinari led the way for Oklahoma City in that stretch, making two 3-pointers and adding three free throws after being fouled on a 3-point attempt.
Harden made one of two free throws after that but Gallinari struck again seconds later with another 3 that tied it at 101-all. Gilgeous-Alexander then made one of two free throws to give the Thunder their first lead since the first quarter.
