(CNN Philippines) — James Harden led the Houston Rockets to a 118-108 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers at the Toyota Center in Texas on Saturday (Philippine time).
Things were looking good for the Sixers early as they controlled the entire first quarter and took a seven point advantage.
Capela served as the spark plug for Houston who unleashed a 40-point outburst in the second frame to maintain the distance going into the halftime break. He finished the match with 30 points and 14 rebounds.
As Philadelphia tried to make a comeback a couple of times in the third canto, the Rockets’ steady flow of offense enabled them to secure the edge until the final buzzer.
Ben Simmons also registered a triple double for the Sixers 29 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists. Joel Embiid added 20 markers and 12 boards in a losing effort.
The Rockets improved their record to 24-11 (fourth in the West), while Philadelphia suffered its fourth straight setback and drop to 23-14 in the team standings (fifth in the East).
Houston will visit the Atlanta Hawks on January 9. On the other hand, the Sixers will host the Oklahoma City Thunder on January 7.
The former league Most Valuable Player dropped 44 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists for the Rockets.
