The Houston Rockets opened one of the most challenging portions of their schedule with a marquee victory.
They'll have another chance to make a statement Tuesday night when they visit the Eastern Conference-leading Atlanta Hawks, but they'll be without NBA leading scorer James Harden.
Houston (41-18) opened a set of three games against some of the league's best teams by defeating Cleveland 105-103 in overtime Sunday. Tuesday's date with Atlanta (47-12) comes a day before a matchup with Memphis, which it trails by 1 1/2 games in the Southwest Division.
The Rockets won't have Harden, who continues to garner support as an MVP candidate and averages 27.1 points, for this one after he was suspended one game Monday for kicking LeBron James in the groin.
His absence won't help as the Rockets have flopped in games against the NBA's top two clubs, suffering four double-digit losses against Golden State and shooting 39.5 percent in a 104-97 home defeat to the Hawks on Dec. 20.
Their confidence, though, is likely high as they look to match a season best with a sixth straight victory. The Rockets have also won eight of 11 against opponents with winning records following a 10-12 start. Sunday's victory was their third in a row by five points or fewer.
"We're growing as a team. So, early in the season, when things got tough, we didn't know how to pull these situations out," Harden, who scored 33 against the Cavaliers, told the team's official website. "Lately we've been believing in each other. Games like this we find a way to win and that's been our motto the entire season."
Houston, which is 19-8 without Dwight Howard, will look to continue benefiting from a bevy of contributors as Harden misses his first game of the season. Terrence Jones has averaged 18.5 points and 10.5 rebounds while shooting 60.4 percent over the last four, and Trevor Ariza hit five 3-pointers in wins against the Clippers and Brooklyn on Wednesday and Friday.
The Hawks, who are a league-best 21-8 against opponents .500 or better, boast impressive depth as well. They won 93-91 at Miami on Saturday despite being without three starters as Al Horford, DeMarre Carroll and Jeff Teague were given the day off along with reserve center Pero Antic.
Kent Bazemore scored 15 in his third start, 10.6 above his previous average, while Dennis Schroder recorded 16 points and 10 assists in his sixth.
Leading scorer Paul Millsap had 22 points and has averaged 20.0 on 50.8 percent shooting during Atlanta's four-game winning streak.
Coach Mike Budenholzer said the occasional days off for starters are to keep the Hawks "in a good place health-wise," but they also give the reserves a chance to prove their mettle.
"This was an opportunity for them to step up and play and they did. They were ready to play. That's a credit to them as professionals," Horford said. "They're always staying ready. They're always doing extra things and that's why we had success down there."
These are two of the league's most perimeter-oriented teams with Houston ranking first with 33.8 3-point attempts per game and Atlanta eighth at 25.9. They combed to go 25 of 69 from 3-point range in the first matchup.
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