HOUSTON -- There was a lesson to be learned from the last time Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid and the youthful 76ers encountered a fourth-quarter charge from the veteran-laden Rockets, yet the question that begged to be answered was this: Had Simmons and Co. fully grasped it?

By tightening the screws defensively, the Philadelphia 76ers snapped an eight-game series losing skid to the Houston Rockets with a 115-107 victory on Monday night at Toyota Center.

Simmons posted 24 points on 10-of-15 shooting plus seven rebounds and nine assists while Embiid added 22 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Both contributed baskets that helped stabilize the 76ers (3-4) after the Rockets cut what was a 14-point deficit to 106-105 on a pair of free throws from guard James Harden with 3:06 remaining.

Just five days ago in Philadelphia, the Rockets turned a 9-0 closing run into a 105-104 victory. The 76ers authored a different final chapter in the rematch, holding the Rockets without a field goal for three-plus minutes down the stretch, a decisive run snapped only when Ryan Anderson made a layup with 18.9 seconds left that pulled the Rockets to within six points a bit too late.

"I think we stayed on them a lot more defensively," Simmons said. "Communication was better. But there were still times where they were just the Rockets, a great scoring team."

For Houston (5-3), that run unfolded after the 76ers extended to a 103-93 lead when reserve guard T.J. McConnell drilled a 3-pointer off an Embiid assist with 6:31 left. Philadelphia managed just one basket over the ensuing three minutes, with Simmons converting a three-point play at the 3:50 mark before the Rockets continued their surge and closed to within one.

But Embiid answered with a hook shot and Simmons followed with a transition dunk 21 seconds later, as Philadelphia reclaimed a 110-105 lead. All the while, its defense was stout.

"That's what won us the game," 76ers coach Brett Brown said. "We won the game because we did a far better job of defending the 3-point line and moving our feet and accurate switches. Really good communication."

Harden paced the Rockets with 29 points, seven assists and four steals while his backcourt partner, Eric Gordon, scored 25. Center Clint Capela added 12 points and 15 rebounds for the Rockets, who missed 34 of 47 3-point attempts and shot just 39.8 percent from the floor.

The 76ers totaled 40 bench points in the wire-to-wire victory, with forward Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot scoring 17 points, Amir Johnson 12 points plus 10 rebounds, and McConnell 11 points.

All the hallmarks of exceptional ball movement were present for the 76ers early as Philadelphia produced 11 assists on 15 baskets in the first quarter. Simmons, McConnell and Jerryd Bayless recorded three assists each to steer a fluid offense that shot 65.2 percent from the floor, with Luwawu-Cabarrot making all four of his attempts in the breakout opening frame.

"Terrible, terrible," Harden said of the Rockets' early energy. "We allowed too many easy points (in the) first and third quarter. We can't have those mental lapses on the defensive end."

Without Embiid on the floor, the 76ers weren't quite as potent on either end in the second quarter. Keyed by Gordon, who tallied 15 points in the period, the Rockets turned a series of rallies into a one-point deficit when Harden scored in transition with 4:18 left in the half.

Gordon saved the Rockets late when his steal and dunk with 1.5 seconds left ended a scoring drought of nearly three minutes and cut the 76ers' lead to 58-56 at the intermission. But any established momentum proved fleeting for the Rockets, from the start through the ugly finish.

"It's just like we're playing in spurts," Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni said. "There's just not an overall theme of being gritty and grinding, figuring out ways to win until we get it straight."

NOTES: Philadelphia G J.J. Redick missed a second consecutive game with lower back tightness. F Dario Saric once again replaced Redick in the starting lineup, scoring 14 points. ... Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni assigned a lack of focus as the primary reason behind the surprising lack of pace offensively. The Rockets entered the week ranked 23rd in pace at 99.2 possessions per 48 minutes after finishing last season third overall at 102.5. ... Rockets G Chris Paul is set to undergo a re-examination of his left knee sometime soon. Paul has missed every game this season excluding the opener. ... Sixers coach Brett Brown took a positive approach to the news that rookie G Markelle Fultz would miss an indefinite amount of time with right shoulder soreness, expressing excitement over taking "the window of time to grow (Fultz)."