Harden comes up big in final minute for Rockets
INDIANAPOLIS — James Harden made a tie-breaking 3-pointer with 34.8 seconds left and then closed out the Houston Rockets’ 98-94 win over the Indiana Pacers by making four straight free throws Monday night.
The reigning MVP scored 28 points as the Rockets won their third straight since starting 1-5.
Victor Oladipo scored 28 points and made two 3s in the final minute to cut the deficit to 94-93, but it wasn’t enough as Indiana’s three-game winning streak ended.
NUGGETS 115, CELTICS 107: In Denver, Jamal Murray scored a career-high 48 points, including 19 in the fourth quarter, as Denver overcame a sluggish start to beat Boston.
At 9-1, the Nuggets are off to their best start since 1976-77.
Denver spotted the Celtics an 18-point lead in the first quarter but made up ground behind Murray, who scored 23 in the first half.
RAPTORS 124, JAZZ 111: In Salt Lake City, Kyle Lowry had 17 points and 11 assists to lead four Raptors with 17 points as Toronto beat Utah.
Serge Ibaka, OG Anunoby and Fred VanVleet also had 17 points as the Raptors were bolstered with six players in double figures to win their fourth straight game. THUNDER 122, PELICANS 116: In Oklahoma City, the Thunder won its fifth straight, but it lost star point guard Russell Westbrook to a sprained left ankle.
After coming down hard on the side of his foot, Westbrook pounded the ground in frustration before limping off the court. The Thunder led 84-77 when he exited with 4:25 left in the third quarter.
New Orleans closed to a point in the final minute, but Dennis Schroder made two free throws with 20.5 seconds left and Paul George made a pair with 11.8 seconds to play to clinch the win for the Thunder. BULLS 116, KNICKS 115 (2 OT): In New York, Zach LaVine scored a career-high 41 points, including the game-winning free throw with 0.2 seconds left, as Chicago beat New York in double overtime.
Antonio Blakeney scored 17 points
and Jabari Parker had 15. WARRIORS 117, GRIZZLIES 101: In Oakland, Calif., Klay Thompson scored 27 points, and Kevin Durant added 22 points, six rebounds and six assists as Golden State ran its winning streak to eight games by beating Memphis.
Stephen Curry overcame a slow start to score 19 points, and the Warriors used a 34-15 third quarter to pull away.
MAGIC 102, CAVALIERS 100: In Orlando, Fla., Evan Fournier hit a 22-footer at the final horn as Orlando came back from a five-point deficit in the last 24 seconds against Cleveland.
Fournier took an inbounds pass with 1.8 seconds left after Nikola Vucevic blocked George Hill’s shot at the other end, and the ball went out of bounds off Hill. HEAT 120, PISTONS 115 (OT): In Detroit,Josh Richardson scored 27 points to lead Miami past Detroit in overtime. CLIPPERS 120, TIMBERWOLVES 109: In Los Angeles, the Clippers’ Tobias Harris had 22 points and 10 rebounds to lead LA past Minnesota.