Harden, Rockets win 10th straight, topping Kings

FILE: James Harden (Photo: Houston Rockets/ Facebook)

HOUSTON — James Harden had 28 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, and the Houston Rockets held on for their 10th straight victory, 100-91 over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night.

The Rockets are 44-13 entering the All-Star break after winning 17 of their last 19 games.

Houston led by as many as 17, but the Kings got within striking distance several times in the fourth quarter. They were within six late when Houston used a 7-2 run, capped by a 3-pointer from Harden, to make it 94-83 with just more than a minute left.

The Kings scored the next five points, with a 3-pointer from Garrett Temple, to cut it to six again with 30 seconds left. Joe Johnson, in his Houston debut, added two free throws before Bogdan Bogdanovic hit a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 96-91 with about 25 seconds left.

Chris Paul added 19 points and seven assists for Houston. Bogdanovic led the Kings with 20 points.

TRAIL BLAZERS 123, WARRIORS 117

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Damian Lillard had 44 points and eight assists, and Portland overcame Kevin Durant’s 50 points to snap a seven-game losing streak to Golden State.

CJ McCollum added 29 points for the Blazers, who go into the All-Star break six games over .500 (32-26).

Durant added seven rebounds and six assists, but Golden State had its three-game winning streak snapped. It was Durant’s fifth career 50-point game and first this season.

CLIPPERS 129, CELTICS 119

BOSTON (AP) — DeAndre Jordan had 30 points and 13 rebounds and Los Angeles beat Boston for its fourth victory in five games.

Tobias Harris added 21 points, Danilo Gallinari had 20, and Lou Williams 19.

Kyrie Irving led Boston with 33 points and eight assists. Al Horford had 20 points, and Marcus Morris added 13 points and 11 rebounds. The Celtics lost for the fourth time in five games, a stretch that has seen them fall behind Toronto for the best record in the Eastern Conference.

JAZZ 107, SUNS 97

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 24 points, Royce O’Neale had a career-high 19 and Utah Jazz won its 11th straight, beating Phoenix.

Derrick Favours had 18 points and 12 rebounds, and Rudy Gobert added 14 points and 17 rebounds.

Devin Booker returned from a hip injury to lead the Suns with 28 points. Josh Jackson added 22 points, and Elfrid Payton had a triple-double with 13 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists. Phoenix has lost seven straight.

THUNDER 121, GRIZZLIES 114

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Paul George scored 28 points, Russell Westbrook added 23 points in his 17th triple-double of the season, and Oklahoma City held off Memphis.

Westbrook finished with 15 assists and 13 rebounds to help Oklahoma City win for only the third time in the last nine games. Carmelo Anthony added 19 points. The Thunder made a season-high 17 3-pointers.

Andrew Harrison led Memphis with a career-high 28 points. The Grizzlies have lost seven straight.

PELICANS 139, LAKERS 117

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Anthony Davis had 42 points and 15 rebounds in New Orleans’ victory over Los Angeles.

Davis went 15 for 18 from the field and had three assists, three steals and two blocks. Jrue Holiday had 24 points and 11 assists, and reserve Darius Miller scored 19 points.

It was the highest scoring game of the season for New Orleans, which has won three in a row heading into the All-Star break. Kyle Kuzma scored 23 points for Los Angeles.

RAPTORS 122, BULLS 98

CHICAGO (AP) — Kyle Lowry had 20 points and 10 assists, Serge Ibaka also scored 20 points and Toronto cruised into the All-Star break with its seventh straight victory.

Lowry made four 3-pointers, and he and Ibaka each grabbed seven rebounds.

Jonas Valanciunas added 14 points and nine rebounds to help the Raptors complete a four-game sweep against Chicago even though they only got seven points from four-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan.

Bobby Portis scored 18 points for Chicago. The Bulls have lost nine of 11.

WIZARDS 118, KNICKS 113

NEW YORK (AP) — Bradley Beal had 36 points and Washington overcame a 27-point deficit to beat New York.

Otto Porter Jr. added 22 points and Ian Mahinmi had 17 for the Wizards, who trailed 68-41 late in the second quarter. Washington then went on a 42-15 run to tie it at 83 with 3:32 left in the third.

Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 37 points — 32 in the first half — to lead the Knicks. They’ve lost a season-worst eight straight and are 0-4 since losing All-Star Kristaps Porzingis to a season-ending knee injury.

76ERS 104, HEAT 102

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Ben Simmons had a triple-double, J.J. Redick hit a 19-foot, off-balanced jumper from the baseline with 19.4 seconds left and short-handed Philadelphia overcame a 24-point second-half deficit to beat Miami.

Dario Saric added 19 points and Marco Belinelli had 17 in his first game with the team to help the 76ers win their fifth straight and 11th in a row on their home court. Philadelphia All-Star centre Joel Embiid sat because of soreness in his right ankle.

James Johnson had 22 points for the Heat. They have lost seven of eight.

PISTONS 104, HAWKS 98

DETROIT (AP) — Ish Smith had 22 points and nine assists, Blake Griffin narrowly missed a triple-double and Detroit beat Atlanta to end a three-game losing streak.

Griffin finished with 13 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists, and Andre Drummond added 13 points and 15 rebounds. Andrew White III had 15 points for the Hawks in his NBA debut.

HORNETS 104, MAGIC 102

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Dwight Howard had 22 points and 13 rebounds, Kemba Walker added 20 points and Charlotte edged Orlando to stop a four-game slide.

Mario Hezonja led Orlando with 21 points and 10 rebounds.

PACERS 108, NETS 103

NEW YORK (AP) — Victor Oladipo scored 25 points, and Corey Joseph added 15 points and 11 assists to help Indiana beat Brooklyn for its third straight victory.

Allen Crabbe had 23 points for the Nets. They have lost seven in a row.