HOUSTON -- After a lengthy stretch of efficient scoring off the bench during December, Houston Rockets reserve guard Eric Gordon solidified his standing as a frontrunner for Sixth Man of the Year honors.

Following his performance on Monday night, Gordon has teammates lobbying for greater accolades.

Gordon scored a season-high 31 points and James Harden recorded his third consecutive triple-double in the Rockets' come-from-behind, 101-91 win over the Washington Wizards at Toyota Center.

Gordon and Harden outscored the Wizards (16-17) in the second half 39-38, with Gordon tallying 22 points on 7-for-10 shooting (including 5 for 8 from 3-point range) while Harden added 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists in 22 post-intermission minutes. Harden overcame a poor shooting night to post 23 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Houston (27-9) stretched its winning streak to five games.

After starting eight games while guard Patrick Beverley recovered from preseason knee surgery, Gordon returned to the bench and crafted a role as a dead-eye shooter capable of carrying an offense.

"All-Star for sure, especially with the record we have right now," Harden said of Gordon. "He sacrifices for the team. Obviously he can start and all that but he sacrifices and comes off the bench. He plays extremely well. He's definitely an All-Star caliber player."

Guard Bradley Beal paced the Wizards with 27 points while his backcourt mate John Wall added 18 points, 12 assists and five boards. Washington had its modest three-game winning streak snapped.

Following a first half in which he showcased his breathtaking versatility, Wall scored just six points on 2-for-9 shooting after the break and did not record a rebound. The Rockets walled off his penetration and the Wizards' offense subsequently collapsed, allowing Houston to shoot its way back into the game.

"At the beginning they were dead, no energy, and I felt like we were going to win the game by double digits," Beal said. "Just by the way they were playing they had no rhythm and we were taking them out of everything they wanted to do. The second half was just a totally different game."

The Rockets grabbed their first lead with 2:45 left in the third quarter, part of a gradual 24-8 run over the second half of the period. Nene converted a pick-and-roll dunk for that lead and added a short jumper and another pick-and-roll basket to push the lead to 71-66. Houston outscored Washington 37-17 in the third, suddenly burying 7 of 10 3-pointers as part of 72.2 percent shooting (13 of 18) overall.

Gordon scored 12 points on 4-for-4 shooting in the third.

"They come with a really good player off the bench and we couldn't stay in front of him and he was making his 3s," Wizards coach Scott Brooks said of Gordon. "He was putting us in tough positions and they were finding him."

Wall converted three shots at the rim in the first quarter while Beal sank a pair of 3-pointers. Combined they outscored the Rockets 15-14 entering the second, with Washington leading by 15.

What saved Houston was the Wizards' ineffective perimeter shooting. The Rockets missed all eight of their 3-point attempts in the first quarter and 15 of 17 before the break. The Wizards weren't much better (2 for 13 on treys) and they failed to fully capitalize on eight first-half turnovers from the Rockets, parlaying that total into just six points and only seven fast-break points by the intermission.

That paved the way for Gordon to make the most of his hot hand.

"We weren't doing the things we were supposed to do, but we did in the second half and dominated offensively," Gordon said. "We know what we're capable of and we've just got to continue to do the things that we need to do."

NOTES: Rockets G Patrick Beverley missed his second consecutive game with a right wrist sprain, an injury presumably sustained against the Los Angeles Clippers last Friday night. Beverley missed the first 11 games of the season following preseason knee surgery, with Houston going 6-5 during that stretch. ... Wizards G Bradley Beal returned to the starting lineup after missing one game with a right ankle sprain suffered on Dec. 28 against the Indiana Pacers. ... Rockets G James Harden was named Western Conference Player of the Week for the third time this season after posting averages of 37.3 points, 12.5 assists and 9.8 rebounds during the Rockets' 4-0 week. Harden scored a career-high 53 points with 17 assists and 16 rebounds against the New York Knicks on New Year's Eve. ... Wizards G John Wall was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week after leading Washington to a 3-0 record. Wall averaged 24.3 points, 13 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 2.67 steals.