CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- James Harden had a triple-double with 27 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds as the Houston Rockets pulled away late for a 109-93 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night at the Spectrum Center.

But those weren't the numbers everyone was talking about afterward.

Instead, the number that jumped out was 57, as the Rockets finished 22 of 57 from 3-point range, for 38.6 percent. They made six more 3-pointers than they did 2-pointers in the game.

The 57 3-point attempts were the second-most in a game in NBA history, just four shy of the 61 the Rockets attempted to set the record last year. They have now attempted 50 or more 11 times in the past two seasons.

"Everybody's got the green light," Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni said. "When we pass them up and they're open, guys get mad at each other, so we're taking them. We just think it's a good shot for us."

Eric Gordon, who finished with 26 points, and Ryan Anderson, who scored 21, wound up with six 3-pointers each. Harden hit four and P.J. Tucker three. Gordon had 16 3-point attempts and Anderson, who hit three in the first three minutes to set the tone, attempted 15.

"I was surprised hearing that because we passed up some opportunities, some looks," Anderson said. "I feel like we could have gotten about 10 more up. But that's the way we play. When we play that fluid, we get those shots and it just feels natural. So 57 is not a big surprise."

The Rockets came into the game averaging 42 3-point attempts per game, but were shooting just 28.1 percent from beyond the arc collectively.

The Rockets (5-1) have now won two straight on this three-game Eastern trip. They opened the trip with a 105-104 win at Philadelphia on Wednesday when Gordon hit a game-winning 3-pointer at the final buzzer.

The Rockets led by as many as 15 in the first half against Charlotte before settling for a 56-46 halftime lead. They led just 78-74 going into the fourth quarter and the Hornets cut the lead to two from there. But a 9-0 run gave the Rockets a working margin again, and they pushed the lead all the way to 16 at the end.

"We're five games into the season," Harden said when asked about the team's identity. "It's going to be like that, but having a learning experience and winning games is always better. So we've just got to get better and figure each other out."

Kemba Walker led the Hornets (2-3) with 26 points. Jeremy Lamb scored 20 and Dwight Howard had another monster game with 19 points and 16 rebounds, although he was just 5 of 15 from the free-throw line on a night when the Rockets employed the Hack-A-Shaq strategy late in the game.

"Obviously the big thing tonight was the second and the fourth (quarters)," Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. "We broke our lineup and we struggled. It's a good experience. They're good, obviously, and they played well. Harden and Gordon were both terrific and Anderson played well."

The Hornets (2-3) were coming off their best performance of the year, a 110-93 home win over Denver on Wednesday night. They shot just 37.5 percent from the field on 33 of 88.

"I don't think I've ever played against anyone that's taken that many threes," Hornets forward Marvin Williams said. "They have a lot of guys that can shoot them and they can shoot them deep. It definitely hurt us down the stretch."

NOTES: The Rockets are 13-1 in their last 14 games against the Hornets. ... The Hornets continue to be without G Nicolas Batum (sprained left elbow), C Cody Zeller (right knee bone bruise), G Michael Carter-Williams (knee soreness), G Traveon Graham (right quad contusion) and G Julyan Stone (strained left hamstring). ... The Rockets were without F Nene (left Achilles soreness), F Trevor Ariza (left midfoot strain) and G Chris Paul (left knee). ... Hornets C Dwight Howard pulled down 16 rebounds, marking the fifth straight game he has had 15 or more rebounds, which is a franchise record. Howard came into the game second in the NBA in rebounding at 18.0, behind only Clippers C DeAndre Jordan at 18.3. ... The Rockets will close out the road trip on Saturday at Memphis. It's their second of 14 sets of back-to-backs this season. ... The Hornets will conclude a three-game home stand on Sunday against Orlando.