The Houston Rockets squandered a 23-point lead but still came out victorious against the San Antonio Spurs, handing San Antonio their first home loss of the season on Saturday, Nov. 30 at the AT&T Center.

Spurs guard Tony Parker scored a season high 27 points with eight assists, and Tim Duncan added 20 points and eight rebounds in the loss.

Rockets guard James Harden scored 31 points along with Chandler Parsons’ 25 points to provide the difference Houston needed. The Rockets became only the second team to score over 100 points against the Spurs this season.

Marco Belinelli contributed 18 points for the Spurs, ten coming in the fourth quarter as part of the comeback.

“The last two games, he was incredible,” Spurs guard Manu Ginobili said.

“He (Belinelli) has given us a lot. He is playing very well and doing a good all-around job,” Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich said. “He is fitting in more quickly than any new player I think we have ever had.”

Despite being down by 23, Parker started hitting an array of tear drops and reverse layups while also dishing out several assists to help the Spurs go on a 14-2 run to cut the lead to 57-46 at the half.

“I would rather somebody else score,” said Rockets center Dwight Howard, who scored 13 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. “When Tony (Parker) has it, he’s hitting the midrange shot; he’s getting to the basket, hitting floaters and making the right pass. He’s one hell of a guard.”

Belinelli gave the Spurs their first lead since early in the first quarter on a 3-pointer as the Spurs went on an 8-0 run. But that’s when James Harden started to take over as he hit numerous jumpers and got to the free throw line to give the Rockets back the lead.

“That’s what I have to do. I have to. If it’s not for myself, it’s for my teammates,” Harden said. “Just being in attack mode at all times, that’s what they’re looking for me to do. I just have to have confidence.”

Harden hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 106. That was followed by a tip in by Rocket Patrick Beverly to put Houston ahead by two points with 31 seconds left in the game.

A missed 3-pointer from Ginobili turned into a fast-break dunk by Houston’s Chandler Parsons to put the nail in the coffin for the Spurs.

The Spurs rebounded with a 102-100 victory on Monday Dec. 2 against the Atlanta Hawks at the AT&T Center in a welcome return home for former San Antonio assistant and current Atlanta Head Coach Mike Budenholzer.

Tim Duncan lead the charge with 21 points and 21 rebounds, while the Spurs’ bench added 46 points in the victory.

The Spurs will try to whip up another 11-game win streak as they face the Minnesota Timberwolves in Mexico City on Wednesday, Dec. 4th.