WALL MAKES HOUSTON DEBUT IN VICTORY
John Wall had 22 points and nine assists in his first game since 2018, James Harden had a big finish to score 33 points and the host Houston Rockets beat the Sacramento Kings 122-119 on Thursday night.
Late in the fourth, Wall found James Harden in transition for a deep 3-pointer that gave Houston a one-point lead. The two celebrated with a highfive at midcourt.
“It was cool,” said Wall, who cited the 735 days since his last game in postgame interviews. “It was great to get our first win. My job is to help James as much as possible and to try and make it easier for him.”
Sacramento cut Houston’s lead to 118-117 with 22.4 seconds remaining on Tyrese Haliburton’s 3-pointer, but Harden answered with two free throws. Sacramento missed two close 3s in the final seconds.
Harden also had eight assists and six rebounds in the first of a two-game set with the Kings. They will meet again Saturday in Houston.
“We’ve just got to keep building now,” Harden said.
Rockets 122, Kings 119
“It’s very difficult to beat the same team two times in a row so we know how important it is to be locked in and stay focused.”
The Rockets were playing their first game with Wall, DeMarcus Cousins and Eric Gordon, who missed the first two games due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Houston’s scheduled opener on Dec. 23 against Oklahoma City after COVID-19 quarantine protocols depleted the roster below the eight players required by the NBA to play a game.
Wall, acquired from Washington for Russell Westbrook, scored his first points since Dec. 26, 2018, on a thunderous left-handed dunk in transition. Wall looked explosive on several drives to the basket and dunks in his first game back from a ruptured Achilles tendon.
Harrison Barnes led the Kings with 24 points, De’Aaron Fox and Richaun Holmes each had 22, and Buddy Hield added 19.
Suns 106, Jazz 95:
Devin
Booker had 25 points and seven assists to lead visiting Phoenix to a victory over Utah for its first 4-1 start since 2009. Mikal Bridges and Jae Crowder added 16 points apiece for the Suns.
Donovan Mitchell scored 23 points for the Jazz. Rudy Gobert had 18 points and 14 rebounds, and Mike Conley chipped in 16 points.
Bulls 133, Wizards 130: Otto Porter scored 28 points, Zach LaVine added 22 and Chicago, playing without four players who were in the NBA health and safety protocol, beat winless Washington on the road.
The Bulls played without Lauri Markkanen, their second-leading scorer and top rebounder, as well as forward Chandler Hutchison and guards Ryan Arcidiacano and Tomas Satoransky.
Westbrook had his fourth straight triple-double in his four games with Washington, finishing with 22 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists.
Pacers 119, Cavaliers 99: Domantas Sabonis had 25 points and made two of Indiana’s 16 3-pointers in the Pacers’ victory over visiting Cleveland.
76ers 116, Magic 92: Joel Embiid had 21 points and nine rebounds in three quarters and Philadelphia handed host Orlando its first loss in five games this season.
Nikola Vucevic had 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Magic.
Raptors 100, Knicks 83: At Tampa, Fla., Fred VanVleet scored 25 points and Toronto, playing without star forward Pascal Siakam, beat New York for its first victory of the season. Siakam, who left the court promptly in frustration Tuesday night after fouling out of a game at Philadelphia, was on the Toronto bench but not in uniform.
Pelicans 113, Thunder 80: Brandon Ingram had 20 points and seven rebounds before being ejected in the third quarter and New Orleans beat host Oklahoma. Al Horford led the Thunder with 17 points and six rebounds.
Notable
Hawks guard Kris Dunn will rest his right ankle for two weeks after having arthroscopic surgery to remove loose cartilage.