Rockets Escape Dallas 130-128; Take 3-0 Series Lead
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DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) -- No NBA team has ever rallied from a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series.
The Dallas Mavericks will attempt to become the first.
James Harden led the Houston Rockets with 42 points as Houston escaped Dallas with a 130-128 win at the American Airlines Center on Friday night.
The Rockets now lead the Western Conference series 3-0 with a chance to close it out Sunday in Game 4.
Houston jumped to an early lead in a game that saw plenty of offense.
Monta Ellis and Harden each scored 12 in a first quarter that saw 76 points and both teams shooting better than 60 percent.
A 12-point deficit for Dallas turned into a seven-point Dallas lead at the half.
Then James Harden took control.
Harden scored 16 points in the third quarter, including two of three from three-point range, as Houston took a two-point lead into the fourth quarter.
Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle says the team switched up its looks against Harden, who scored just 24 points in each of the series' first two games.
"You can't give a great player like that the same looks all the time," said Carlisle after the game. "But, he made a lot of difficult shots tonight."
Houston extended the lead to 11, but Dallas chipped away.
Nowitzki trimmed the lead to one with three free throws in the final minute, but Harden answered with a jump shot over center Tyson Chandler with 12.7 seconds remaining to extend the lead to three.
Monta Ellis answered back with a quick bucket, but Corey Brewer made one of two free throws for a two-point lead.
Ellis missed a long jumper from the top of the key. A long rebound bounced out of the reach of guard JJ Barea as time expired.
Carlisle took blame for the failed attempt after the game.
Nowitzki and Ellis each finished with 34.
"This ranks up there with the toughest playoff losses I've had in my long playoff career," said Nowitzki. "This definitely is up there."
Rockets center Dwight Howard dominated the boards, collecting 13 points and 26 rebounds.
The Mavericks were playing without Chandler Parsons and Rajon Rondo, who are both out for the remainder of the playoffs.
You can watch Sunday's game on TXA 21.
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