James Harden gets Monday night’s game ball

In order to turn their two-game win streak into three, the Houston Rockets had to fight tooth and nail with the Boston Celtics up until the last second of the game.

Leading 107-104 with 16 seconds in the game James Harden not only turned over the ball, but he hit Marcus Smart with an elbow, drawing a flagrant foul.

The Rockets would end up surviving with a 107-106 win, but no doubt the final few seconds were a nail-biter.

Despite Trevor Ariza being listed as questionable before the game with back spasms, he played 33 minutes, covered 2.14 miles and nearly had a double-double, finishing with 15 points and 8 rebounds.

But James Harden gets the game ball for Monday's win.

His mistake might have nearly cost the team their third straight win, but Harden also scored almost 40% of the team's points.

Harden finished with 37 points on 8 for 14 shooting, but it was his 18 for 18 at the free-throw line that helped the Rockets out the most. This came after uncharacteristic struggles from the stripe in his previous games.

Trailing 95-100 with a little over four minutes left, Harden kept driving the lane and the Celtics couldn't help but keep fouling him. Harden's went to the line three out of the next five possessions and his six free throws helped put the team up 104-102. Before the flagrant foul, Harden was on track for his 19th and 20th free throw of the game and sealing the win, but alas they won the hard way (no pun intended).

The Beard did have 10 turnovers and played sloppy in the first half, but on a night when Ryan Anderson was invisible, Clint Capela had trouble finishing and his teammates shot 9-33 from deep, Harden was still the difference in this one.