James Harden scored 30 points, and Clint Capela had 23 points and 17 rebounds as the Houston Rockets won their third straight with a 118-113 victory over the host Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night.

The Rockets let a 15-point, first-half lead slip away completely and had to come from 12 down in the second half. They ultimately seized control with a 13-0 run in the fourth quarter and salted the game away on two free throws by Harden with 14.6 seconds remaining.

Harden started a new streak after his run of 32 straight games with 30 points or more came to an end in a win over Atlanta on Monday. He struggled with his shooting, going 10 of 29 from the field and 1 of 11 from 3-point range, but he made key plays down the stretch.

Chris Paul added 17 points and 10 assists for the Rockets, and Gerald Green and PJ Tucker scored 15 apiece.

The Hornets, who lost for the fifth time in their past six games, were led by Kemba Walker with 35 points. However, Walker scored just eight in the second half and missed two big 3-point attempts in the last two minutes, including one with 16 seconds left that could have tied the game before Harden's final two free throws.

The Hornets also got 18 points and 14 rebounds from Jeremy Lamb. Nicolas Batum scored 17, Cody Zeller had 13, and Marvin Williams scored 12.

The Rockets led 41-33 after one quarter. Then came the bizarre second quarter as Houston pulled out to a 56-41 lead before the Hornets answered with a 16-0 run for a 57-56 lead. Charlotte eventually led 69-62 at halftime.

The Hornets pushed the lead to 88-76 at one point in the third quarter before settling for a 94-90 lead after three quarters.

Houston's 13-0 run turned a 98-95 deficit into a 108-98 lead, with Paul giving the Rockets the lead for good at 99-98 with 8:44 remaining.

The Rockets will host Miami on Thursday, then will head to Boston and Toronto.

The Hornets will play at Brooklyn on Friday.

The Rockets and Hornets will meet again in Houston on March 11.

--Field Level Media