HOUSTON -- Guard James Harden poured in a season-high 50 points and carried the Houston Rockets to a fourth-quarter comeback to produced a 116-114 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night at the Toyota Center.

Harden added nine rebounds and eight assists but also nine turnovers as the Sixers (0-17) fought gamely but in vain while setting an NBA record with their 27th consecutive loss.

Houston (6-10) altered its starting lineup, aligning backup center Clint Capela alongside starting center Dwight Howard. The duo responded with double-doubles of 13 points and 10 rebounds and 14 points and 13 rebounds, respectively.

Guard Isaiah Canaan and forward Robert Covington, both former Rockets, led the Sixers. Canaan scored 23 points, hitting 4 of 10 3-pointers, and Covington had a career-high 28 points, seven rebounds, five assists and eight steals.

The Sixers initiated their comeback almost immediately to open the fourth quarter, drilling three treys to erase most of a 16-point deficit late in the fourth quarter.

Covington, whose three-point play to close the third ignited the momentum, buried the first 3 to get the Sixers rolling before forward Jerami Grant (18 points) carried the torch with two free throws that tied the score at 93 with 9:32 left, a 3-pointer and a thunderous transition dunk that bumped the Sixers' lead to 104-97 with 6:41 to play.

Harden responded immediately with seven consecutive points to pull the Rockets even as part of a 10-0 run capped by three Corey Brewer free throws with 5:00 left. But after the Sixers snapped that run, Harden drew a foul and sank both free throws before drilling a 3-pointer for a 112-106 lead with 2:25 to play.

One offensive blitz in the third quarter enabled the Rockets to seize control, albeit temporarily. Harden and Howard worked splendidly in concert, with Harden scoring 16 points in the quarter to stretch a five-point halftime lead to 76-62 with a 3-pointer with 6:36 left in the third quarter.

But the Rockets' care of the ball kept the Sixers close. Houston committed seven turnovers in the third quarter, many of the live-ball variety, and the Sixers' scorching perimeter shooting was another equalizer.

Canaan and Covington proved indefensible and even after Harden followed three free throws with a three-point play, the Sixers found the shooting and the defensive might to make a key run.

NOTES: With Houston having lost seven of eight games entering Friday, Rockets interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff altered his starting lineup dramatically, benching both G Jason Terry and F Terrence Jones in favor of Patrick Beverley and Clint Capela, respectively. Inserting Beverley, who started 110 of 112 games the previous two seasons is not surprise, but Capela had served as the backup to C Dwight Howard. "We're going to keep making changes until we figure it out," Bickerstaff said. ... 76ers coach Brett Brown pledged to handle the nightclub incident involving rookie C Jahlil Okafor with "discipline and tough love" after reports that Okafor physically confronted a jeering fan in Boston. The NBA is investigating the incident. ... The Rockets remain committed to G Ty Lawson, who played just 2:41 on Wednesday night against the Grizzlies and has been a poor fit after his offseason acquisition from Denver. Getting Lawson in the paint remains a priority. Last season, he shot 54.5 percent inside 10 feet; this season, Lawson is shooting 46.2 percent from that range, including 1 of 12 between 3-10 feet. ... The Sixers scratched Nerlens Noel (right knee soreness). JaKarr Sampson took his place.