Rockets-Thunder Preview

By JEFF BARTL

(AP) -- There was a time when James Harden felt nostalgic each time the Houston Rockets visited Oklahoma City.

Not only has that feeling subsided, he's been beating up on his former team in recent matchups.

Harden looks to help the Rockets win a sixth consecutive meeting as they complete a three-game road trip Friday night against the surging Thunder.

Oklahoma City (35-13) dealt Harden to Houston the offseason after making a run to the 2012 NBA Finals, subsequently turning him into one of the league's top scorers after three seasons of mostly coming off the bench.

Harden is averaging 33.4 points during the Rockets' winning streak in the series, with four of the victories coming by five points or fewer. He scored 37 as Houston (25-23) won 110-105 at home in this season's first matchup Nov. 2.

The seven-year veteran now has spent more time with Houston than he did in Oklahoma City and simply takes these visits in stride.

"It's been four years, so the emotions aren't really there for me anymore," Harden said. "Now it's just about doing whatever it takes to get a win. They're playing well right now. It's just another game for us."

Interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff hopes they come out more prepared for this one, though. San Antonio crushed the Rockets 130-99 on Wednesday to snap Houston's three-game winning streak while holding it to 38.4 percent shooting.

The Rockets won nine of their previous 12 to move three games over .500 for the first time all season, but they couldn't recover after being outscored by 14 in the second quarter. Harden finished with 20 points and Dwight Howard had 13 in his first game back after missing the previous three with an ankle injury.

"To get to where we want to be, we have to learn a lesson in these situations," Bickerstaff said. "At the beginning of the month (after a loss at San Antonio on Jan. 2), we set a goal for ourselves to go 11-5. We still have an opportunity to reach that goal."

Houston would have to win this matchup and beat Washington on Saturday to do so, and defeating the Thunder won't come easily. Oklahoma City has won nine of 10 after Kevin Durant capped a 27-point performance with two big shots down the stretch to beat Minnesota 126-123 on Wednesday.

Russell Westbrook finished with 24 points, 15 assists and eight rebounds, his third game this season with at least 20, 15 and five. The rest of the league has two.

Durant had 44 points and 14 rebounds while Westbrook scored 30 with 10 assists in Tuesday's 128-122 overtime win over New York, the first of two consecutive efforts that the Thunder are not proud of from a defensive perspective.

It's the first time they've allowed at least 120 points in back-to-back games since 2009.

"We like to win, but at the same time know there's room for improvement on the defensive end," Westbrook said after the Thunder finished a 3-1 road trip. "We'll definitely take our victories and get back home and get to the drawing board."

Durant scored 29 points and Westbrook had 25 and 11 assists in the first meeting for the Thunder, who have won five straight and 16 of 18 at home.