NBA roundup: Rockets top Thunder for 16th straight win
Chris Paul scored a team-high 25 points and James Harden added a double-double as the Houston Rockets extended their winning streak to 16 games with a 122-112 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday at Chesapeake Energy Arena.
Paul made 5 of 6 3-point attempts and added five assists plus three steals to help the Rockets stave off a late Thunder rally. Oklahoma City fell into a 19-point hole midway through the fourth quarter before cutting the deficit to eight with a late flurry, a byproduct of aggressive forays to the rim.
Harden chipped in 23 points and 11 assists and Houston overcame his 10 turnovers to extend its winning streak, the second-longest in franchise history. The Rockets did so again via their 3-point proficiency, connecting on 17 of 33 attempted treys while shooting a robust 53.5 percent overall.
Russell Westbrook paced the Thunder with 32 points but needed 27 shots to reach that total while also committing nine turnovers. Carmelo Anthony added 23 points for the Thunder, who entered play fighting to remain in the postseason picture in the congested Western Conference.
Anthony passed Jerry West for 20th on the all-time NBA scoring list in the loss.
Raptors 106, Hawks 90
DeMar DeRozan scored 25 points, and Toronto stayed hot with a win over visiting Atlanta.
Kyle Lowry and DeRozan stayed on the sideline for much of the fourth quarter. C.J. Miles and Delon Wright stepped up in their place and fueled a fourth-quarter spurt for the Raptors, who have won five in a row and 12 of 13 overall.
Kent Bazemore and John Collins each scored 14 points, and Dewayne Dedmon had 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Hawks, who lost all four meetings with the Raptors this season.
76ers 128, Hornets 114
Robert Covington scored 22 points, aided by five 3-point baskets, as Philadelphia sizzled from the perimeter to defeat host Charlotte.
Dario Saric added 19 points with four 3s, and Joel Embiid poured in 18 points.
Dwight Howard scored 30 points for the Hornets, hitting 12 of 17 shots from the field.
Wizards 117, Heat 113 (OT)
Bradley Beal scored 30 points to lead host Washington past Miami in overtime.
Dwyane Wade had a chance to tie the score with less than five seconds left in overtime, but he missed an open two-foot shot in the lane. Teammate Kelly Olynyk missed a put-back, and Miami was forced to foul. Kelly Oubre made two free throws with 1.8 seconds left to ice the game.
The Wizards snapped a three-game losing streak, their longest of the season. Wizards forward Markieff Morris had a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds. He had four straight points in overtime, snapping what had been a tie score at 109.
Mavericks 118, Nuggets 107
Yogi Ferrell scored a season-high 24 points that included a 6-of-7 showing from beyond the arc as host Dallas rolled past Denver.
Dennis Smith Jr. added 18 points and 11 assists for Dallas, which also got 17 points from Dirk Nowitzki, 15 each from Doug McDermott and Harrison Barnes, 14 points from Dwight Powell, and 15 rebounds from Nerlens Noel in the victory.
Wilson Chandler led Denver with 21 points while Will Barton added 16 points, Paul Millsap hit for 12, Gary Harris poured in 11, and Malik Beasley, Trey Lyles and Mason Plumlee scored 10 each.
Trail Blazers 111, Knicks 87
Damian Lillard put on another display of offensive fireworks, propelling host Portland past New York.
Lillard, who came in averaging 35.2 points in his previous nine games, bombed in 37 points in just 31 minutes as the Trail Blazers won their eighth straight game. CJ McCollum scored 19 points for the Blazers.
Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 19 points, Enes Kanter collected 18 points and 11 rebounds and Michael Beasley added 16 points off the bench for the Knicks, who lost for the fifth consecutive time and 13th time in 14 outings.
--Field Level Media
