RESERVES ROCK BLAZERS FROM BENCH
James Harden scored a team-high 29 points, but it was a maligned group of reserves who helped carry the host Houston Rockets to a come-from-behind, 111-103 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday.
Following a change in their starting lineup, with guard Eric Gordon replacing James Ennis, the Rockets received 37 points from their bench. Gerald Green (13 points), Danuel House Jr. (12) and Nene (10) all scored in double figures to help Houston snap a three-game skid.
The Rockets’ four-man bench shot 15 of 22 from the floor, and with Houston trailing 78-75 late in the third quarter, keyed a 25-5 run that stretched into the fourth. Green and House were instrumental during that stretch as the Rockets built a 100-83 lead before Portland rallied.
In Toronto, Serge Ibaka scored 25 points and grabbed nine rebounds, and the visiting Toronto Raptors ended a two-game losing streak with a 123-99 win against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Raptors guard Kyle Lowry came in 4-for-28 from the floor over the past four games, but he shot 8-for-13 while scoring 21 points. Jonas Valanciunas added 16 points off the bench, and Pascal Siakam finished with 13 points for Toronto, which was opening a four-game road trip.
Boban Marjanovic scored 18 points and fellow reserve Tyrone Wallace finished with a season-high 15 points to lead the Clippers, who won in overtime at Phoenix on Monday night. Danilo Gallinari led the starters with 11 points, and Tobias Harris finished with 10, well below his season average (21.4).
The Eastern Conference-leading Raptors played without Kawhi Leonard, who entered Tuesday eighth in the NBA in scoring (26.1).
Leonard, who played just nine games with the San Antonio Spurs last season because of a lingering quad injury, played in a season-high nine straight games before Tuesday.
Leonard hasn’t played in games on consecutive days this season, and Toronto plays the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors on Wednesday.
Fred VanVleet moved into the starting lineup and finished with a career-high 14 assists, including 10 in the first half, when the Raptors shot 63.8 percent from the floor.
In Phoenix, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich earned his 1,211th career win, moving him past Pat Riley for fourth place on the all-time NBA coaching victories list. Ahead of him are Don Nelson (1,335), Lenny Wilkens (1,332) and Jerry Sloan (1,221).
LaMarcus Aldridge added 18 points for San Antonio, which earned a third consecutive victory. Dante Cunningham hit for 14 points.
T.J. Warren paced the Suns with 23 points. De’Anthony Melton scored 17, and Deandre Ayton notched 12 points and 11 rebounds for Phoenix, which has lost 10 straight.