HARDEN DROPS 47 VS JAZZ
ROCKETS EXTEND STREAK; WARRIORS DUMP GRIZZLIES
James Harden carried the load down the stretch once again as the Houston Rockets extended their winning streak to four games with a 102-97 victory over the visiting Utah Jazz on Monday.
Harden scored a game-high 47 points and contributed six rebounds, five assists and five steals as Houston (15-14) climbed above .500 for the first time since Nov. 23.
After Utah pulled even at 94-94 on a Rudy Gobert tip-in with 1:59 remaining, Harden sank a 3-pointer when Ricky Rubio and Royce O’Neale dropped under a screen set by Chris Paul. After Harden added two free throws, Utah cut the deficit to 99-97 on three Donovan Mitchell free throws with 35 seconds to go.
With 13.3 seconds left, Harden then buried another 3-pointer with Rubio defending, producing the final margin. Mitchell led the Jazz with 23 points.
In Oakland, Andre Iguodala returned from a three-game absence to hit two second-quarter 3-pointers, helping Golden State pull away from Memphis for a 110-93 victory.
Kevin Durant had 23 points, Stephen Curry 20 and Klay Thompson and Jonas Jerebko 16 apiece for the Warriors, who won for the sixth time in their past seven games.
Omri Casspi, a member of Golden State’s championship team last season, had a team-high 20 points for the Grizzlies, who found out shortly before game time that star point guard Mike Conley would be unavailable due to a sore hamstring.
In San Antonio, Rudy Gay scored 21 points, and LaMarcus Aldridge added 20 points and 10 rebounds as host San Antonio routed Philadelphia 123-96 to win for the fifth time in six games.
The Spurs led by 11 at halftime but broke open the game in the middle of the third quarter via a 15-0 run that expanded their advantage to 79-53. Gay had 11 points in a period that allowed San Antonio to build as much as a 29-point lead and take a 93-71 cushion into the final 12 minutes.
DeMar DeRozan also scored 20 points for the Spurs. JJ Redick and Ben Simmons led Philadelphia with 16 points each, and Joel Embiid added 13 points and 11 rebounds.
In Detroit, Giannis Antetokounmpo powered for 32 points, 12 rebounds and five assists, and Milwaukee overcame a triple-double from Blake Griffin to win 107-104.
T.J. Warren scored 17 of his 26 points in a dominating third quarter, and Phoenix opened a season-high, five-game road trip by routing New York 128-110.
Karl-Anthony Towns scored 14 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, and eight other Minnesota players produced double-figure point totals as the Timberwolves soundly defeated Sacramento in Minneapolis 132-105.
Jusuf Nurkic contributed 20 points and seven assists for the Trail Blazers, who followed a victory over the NBA’s top team, the Toronto Raptors, on Friday with 131-127 win over the high-scoring Clippers.
Paul George scored 24 points to lead Oklahoma City to a 121-96 win over visiting Chicago.
Russell Westbrook had 13 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists for his 111th career triple-double. Damian Lillard scored 22 of his 39 points in the third quarter. NBA RESULTS: Milwaukee 107, DETROIT 104; Phoenix 128, NEW YORK 110; HOUSTON 102, Utah 97; MINNESOTA 132, Sacramento 105; OKLAHOMA CITY 121, Chicago 96; SAN ANTONIO 123, Philadelphia 96; GOLDEN STATE 110, Memphis 93; Portland 131, LA CLIPPERS 127.