Paul drops 25 as Rockets pick up their 16th straight victory
OKLAHOMA CITY — Chris Paul scored 25 points and the Houston Rockets beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 122-112 on Tuesday for their 16th straight win.
James Harden had 23 points and 11 assists, and Trevor Ariza added 15 points for the Rockets, who are on the second-longest win streak in franchise history.
Russell Westbrook scored 32 points and Carmelo Anthony added 23 for Oklahoma City, which is in a logjam of teams trying to fight their way into third place in the West.
Oklahoma City had beaten several of the league’s top teams this season. The Thunder have two wins over Golden State, a victory over Toronto and a win over Cleveland this season. The Rockets avoided that fate by going 17 of 33 on 3-pointers and 29 of 34 on free throws.
The Rockets led 54-45 at halftime as Harden posted 13 points, seven assists and five rebounds. Anthony had 19 points for the Thunder and Westbrook had 14, but All-star Paul George went 1 for 7 from the field before the break.
The Thunder closed the gap to three in the opening minutes of the third quarter, but the Rockets dominated the rest of the way and led 87-74 at the end of the period.
At Los Angeles, Anthony Davis scored 41 points despite a rib contusion and New Orleans won its ninth straight.
Pelicans 121, Clippers 116 —
Davis tied his career high with four 3-pointers and had 13 rebounds.
At Oakland, Calif., Stephen Curry scored 34 points with six 3-pointers, and Golden State won its sixth straight since the All-star break. Kevin Durant added 19 points and six rebounds for the defending champions.
At Washington, Bradley Beal scored 30 points on 12-of-16 shooting and Washington had its best 3-point shooting night of the season in a over Miami. The Wizards were 14 for 24 beyond the arc.
At Toronto, Demar Derozan scored 25 points, Jonas Valanciunas had 15 and Toronto beat Atlanta for its fifth straight win. The Raptors are 27-5 at home, the best record in the NBA.
At Charlotte, N.C., Robert Covington scored 22 points, rookie sensation Ben Simmons flirted with a triple-double and Philadelphia handed Charlotte its fourth straight loss.
At Dallas, Yogi Ferrell rode hot 3-point shooting to a season-high 24 points, Dirk Nowitzki also was strong from long range to score 17 as Dallas beat Denver.
At Portland, Ore., Damian Lillard scored 37 points and made eight 3-pointers, and Portland won its eighth straight game. CJ Mccollum added 19 points for the Blazers.
Warriors 114, Nets 101 — Wizards 117, Heat 113, OT — Raptors 106, Hawks 90 — 76ers 128, Hornets 114 — Mavericks 118, Nuggets 107 — Trail Blazers 111, Knicks 87 —