Rockets beat 76ers 107-91 for seventh straight win
HOUSTON (AP) — James Harden had 31 points and 10 rebounds and the Houston Rockets extended their winning streak to a season-high seven games with a 107-91 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night.
The Rockets had a big lead for most of the night after a 37-point first quarter and were up by 22 entering the fourth. Philadelphia had trouble containing Clint Capela with Joel Embiid out for the eighth straight game with a sore left knee, and Houston's big man had 18 points and nine rebounds.
The victory came after Philadelphia won the first meeting this season 121-93 behind 32 points from Embiid.
Tobias Harris had 22 points for the 76ers, who dropped their second straight. Ben Simmons played despite dealing with stomach flu and added 15 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds.
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Klay Thompson returned from a two-game absence to score 39 points with nine 3-pointers, and Golden State bounced back from its worst loss of the season to beat Denver in a matchup of the top two teams in the Western Conference.
Thompson sat out that embarrassing 128-95 home defeat Tuesday night to the Celtics, the worst at Oracle Arena under fifth-year coach Steve Kerr, because of soreness in his right knee. He then scored 27 points in the first half Friday and wound up 9 of 11 from deep.
Kevin Durant added 26 points and six assists, and Stephen Curry scored 17 points. DeMarcus Cousins had a strong outing on both ends with 13 points, six rebounds, six assists, six blocked shots and three steals.
Nikola Jokic had 16 points for the Nuggets.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lou Williams scored 40 points, Danilo Gallinari added 34 and Los Angeles defeated foul-plagued Oklahoma City for its first four-game winning streak since November.
Williams passed former Clipper Jamal Crawford for second in NBA career points off the bench.
Russell Westbrook scored 32 points on 12-of-23 shooting for the Thunder before fouling out with 53 seconds left. Paul George, who finished with 15 points, had already fouled out with 3:49 to go. Steven Adams also picked up his sixth foul in the final seconds.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 31 points and Toronto snapped a two-game skid by beating undermanned New Orleans.
Pascal Siakam had 19 and Jeremy Lin added 14 for the Raptors, who began to pull away late in the third quarter and cruised to the finish against a Pelicans squad missing Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday and E'Twaun Moore.
Frank Jackson scored 20 points for the Pelicans, who've lost two straight. Julius Randle had 18 points and nine rebounds, and Cheick Diallo had 16 points and 12 boards for New Orleans.
CHICAGO (AP) — Blake Griffin scored 16 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter after going to the locker room with an apparent right leg injury, and Detroit rallied to beat Chicago for its fourth straight victory.
Andre Drummond added 20 points and 24 rebounds in Detroit's ninth victory in its last 10 games against Chicago. Reggie Jackson scored 21 points, and reserve Langston Galloway finished with 15.
Griffin missed much of the third quarter after he appeared to tweak his right knee early in the second half. But he returned for the start of the fourth and went 7 for 10 from the field to help Detroit improve to 11-2 in its last 13 games.
Zach LaVine scored 24 points for Chicago, which led by as many as 21 in the first half.
MIAMI (AP) — Josh Richardson scored 20 points, Rodney McGruder had a seven-point possession in the fourth quarter to help put the game away, and Miami beat Cleveland.
Bam Adebayo scored 17 points and Justise Winslow finished with 16 points, nine rebounds and nine assists for the Heat, who beat Cleveland at home for the 16th consecutive time and extended their current winning streak to four games. Kelly Olynyk scored 15, McGruder had 13 and Dwyane Wade finished with 12 for Miami.
Collin Sexton led Cleveland with 27 points.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Marvin Williams scored a season-high 30 points on seven 3-pointers, and Charlotte snapped a five-game home losing streak with a win over Washington.
Williams was 7 of 10 from beyond the arc and had seven rebounds as the Hornets got a much needed win to remain in the hunt for the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Jeremy Lamb had 19 points and 10 rebounds and made a go-ahead 3-pointer in transition with 50.9 seconds left, the 14th and final lead change of a nip-and-tuck game. Kemba Walker added 18 points for Charlotte but again struggled from the field shooting 6 of 19.
Bobby Portis had 23 points and nine rebounds for the Wizards, who have lost eight of their last 10.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Mike Conley had 28 points and 11 assists, Jonas Valanciunas added 27 points and Memphis beat Utah.
The last-place Grizzlies won their second in a row. They have not won three straight since November.
Donovan Mitchell led Utah with 38 points, including 20 in the fourth quarter.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Terrence Ross scored 22 points, Nikola Vucevic had 20 points and 13 rebounds and Orlando topped Dallas.
Aaron Gordon added 18 points for Orlando, which won for the 11th time in 16 games.
Luka Doncic had 24 points and eight rebounds for Dallas, which has lost four straight and nine of 10. Jalen Brunson added 18 points and nine assists.
Dirk Nowitzki scored nine points in the fourth quarter and finished with 15, matching his season high in his 21st and final NBA season.