HOUSTON: The intensity made it feel as if there should have been a poster, like an Ali-Frazier banner hanging outside the Toyota Center.
The showdown of Most Valuable Player candidates in the Rockets’ James Harden and the Cavaliers’ LeBron James was the drawing card and it did not disappoint.
But as the stars came out to play Sunday night in a fast-paced, intense game, 3-pointers also told the tale.
The clash of two of the league’s top teams became a bombs-away affair, won by the Rockets 117-112.
Patrick Beverley’s 3-pointer with 1:53 remaining gave the Rockets a 116-107 lead and finished the Cavs, playing on the second night of a back-to-back.
The Cavs hit 17-of-43 from beyond the arc, the Rockets 16-of-45. That’s a combined 99 points scored from long distance.
Falling on the final night of a three-game road trip, the Cavs dropped to 2-5 in March.
The Cavs built a 14-point lead in the second quarter as Richard Jefferson hit four consecutive 3-pointers in the final 6:41 of the second quarter. Jefferson failed to score in the second half, but scored a season-high 16 points, going 6-of-6 from the field.
The Cavs connected on 15 3-pointers in Saturday night’s victory over the Magic in Orlando, running their season total on 3-pointers to 842, second most in the NBA entering the day’s play.
The Cavs’ emphasis on 3s came in response to the Rockets, who hit seven in the first quarter. The Cavs countered by hitting 7-of-11 from long distance in the second quarter.
In the third quarter, the Cavs went cold, managing 3-of-12 3-pointers and fell behind 90-86 at the break. They improved to 5-of-12 from deep in the fourth quarter.
The Harden-James matchup was also worthy of its billing.
Considered one of the top two MVP candidates along with the Thunder’s Russell Westbrook, Harden recorded a triple-double with 37 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists.
After recording triple-doubles in consecutive games against the Pistons and Magic, James finished with 30 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
For most of the night, Harden guarded James, who connected on 12-of-19 field goals.
Harden countered with 13-of-28 from the field.
When the Cavs took an 81-68 lead, Harden scored three consecutive baskets in a Rockets’ 12-0 run. The Rockets tied the game at 83 on Lou Williams’ 3-pointer with 2:09 left in the third quarter. The game was nip and tuck, with the Cavs leading 101-100 after a Deron Williams’ 3, but the Cavs had little left as the Rockets pulled away.
The Cavs’ Kyrie Irving also extended his string of consecutive games with at least 20 points to 15, second-longest in the league coming into the night. Irving scored 28 points, with three rebounds and eight assists.
The Cavs are in the midst of a difficult March that includes 12 of 17 games on the road. They have crossed off six of those 12, but leave Thursday on another three-city jaunt that includes back-to-back in Los Angeles against the Clippers and Lakers, followed by visits to Denver and Charlotte.
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her blog at www.ohio.com/marla. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MRidenourABJ.