Injured Chris Paul picked up a technical foul on the bench in win against Celtics

Houston Rockets guard Chris Paul suffered a hamstring strain last week, and has been sidelined for at least two weeks.

Somehow, though, Paul still managed to pick up a technical foul on Thursday night while sitting on the bench in a suit.

Sitting on the bench late in the third quarter of their 127-113 win against the Boston Celtics at the Toyota Center, Paul said something to official Brent Barnaky, who quickly hit him with a technical foul.

Nearly one minute later, Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni picked up a technical foul of his own. Then, only two seconds after D’Antoni’s, Rockets big man Clint Capela was hit with a technical foul for hanging on the rim.

Celtics star Kyrie Irving took full advantage, too, and hit all three free throws.

The Rockets, who entered halftime with a 57-55 lead, went just 3-of-15 as a team in the final eight minutes — all of which were hit by Capela. James Harden, who dropped 17 points in the first quarter, went 0-of-6 in the second and missed his next 11 shots rolling over into the third quarter.

Once that slump was behind him, though, Harden took off.

James Harden put on a show

Despite the slump in the second quarter, Harden came out firing late in the second half. He put up 12 points, draining four 3-pointers, to keep Houston up by six entering the final 12 minutes.

Irving, though, certainly responded, hitting several impressive deep buckets in Harden’s face in the third quarter to make for some very entertaining basketball in Houston.

The Rockets, though, took off in the fourth quarter and easily surged to a 15-point lead with less than five minutes left in the game.

With 4:38 left in the fourth quarter, Celtics guard Marcus Morris drove through the lane and drew a hard offensive technical foul, sending PJ Tucker flying to the floor. Morris, who had drawn a technical foul earlier in the game, too, was then quickly ejected — but not before a few choice words for the officials. He finished the night with 19 points and six rebounds.

With the game in full control, the Rockets cruised to the 14-point win — their eighth in their past nine games.

Harden led the Rockets with 45 points, shooting 9-of-18 from behind the arc — which tied his career high in a single game. All of his made field goals were unassisted, too, and he reached the free throw line a game-high 17 times — more than double anyone else on the floor.

It also marked his sixth-straight game scoring at least 35 points, the third-longest streak in the NBA in the past 20 seasons behind only LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.

After his hot streak, Harden even feels he’s now back in contention to repeat as league MVP this season.

Capela dropped 24 points and had 18 rebounds in the win. Houston shot a combined 45 3-point attempts on Thursday, too, the most they’ve put up since attempting 55 earlier this month against the Washington Wizards.

Irving led the Celtics with 23 points and 11 assists. Jaylen Brown added 18 from off the bench, and Al Horford put up 15 points, shooting 7-of-12 from the field.

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