NBA: Lakers overcome Harden to end Rockets’ streak.
HOUSTON — Rookie forward Kyle Kuzma set career highs with 38 points and seven 3-pointers, and the Los Angeles Lakers overcame 51 points from James Harden to end the Houston Rockets’ 14-game winning streak with a 122-116 victory Wednesday night.
It was Houston’s first loss since Nov. 14 and snapped a three-game skid for the Lakers.
The game was tied before Los Angeles scored 10 straight points — while Houston missed seven shots in a row — to go up 110-100 with about four minutes left.
HEAT 90, CELTICS 89
In Boston, Kelly Olynyk scored a career-high 32 points in his rousing return to Boston, and undermanned Miami hung on a victory.
On a night when the Celtics honored their former forward in his first game back, the popular Olynyk received a standing ovation from Boston fans and led the Heat to another win against the top team in the Eastern Conference. Josh Richardson had 19 points and six assists for Miami, which took two of three in the season series. The Heat ended Boston’s 16-game winning streak earlier this season with a victory at home.
Olynyk signed with Miami as a free agent during the offseason. His previous high was 30 points on Dec. 15, 2014.
BULLS 112, MAGIC 94
In Chicago, Denzel Valentine had 16 points and 10 rebounds, Nikola Mirotic had 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Chicago beat Orlando for its seventh straight win.
The Bulls had lost 10 straight with Mirotic out of the lineup prior to his return Dec. 8, and they haven’t lost since to improve to 10-20.
Nikola Vucevic scored 18 points for Orlando, which lost its sixth in a row.
SPURS 93, TRAIL BLAZERS 91
In Portland, Ore., LaMarcus Aldridge scored 22 points, and Pau Gasol had 20 points and a seasonhigh 17 rebounds in San Antonio’s victory over Portland.
Aldridge hit 10 of 17 shots against his former team. Gasol and Aldridge each scored 16 points during the first half to help the Spurs (22-10) win their third consecutive game.
TIMBERWOLVES 112, NUGGETS 104
In Denver, Karl-Anthony Towns had 25 points and 10 rebounds, Jimmy Butler also scored 25 and Minnesota beat Denver.
Jamal Crawford added 20 points and seven assists off the bench for the Timberwolves, who rallied from 14 down to end Denver’s eight-game home winning streak.
THUNDER 107, JAZZ 79
In Oklahoma City, Russell Westbrook had 24 points and 10 rebounds to help the Oklahoma City Thunder roll past the Utah Jazz.
Westbrook made 10 of 13 shots and had seven assists and four steals. Oklahoma City has won eight of 11 after a rough start to the season. The Thunder (16-15) are above .500 for the first time since early November.
RAPTROS 129, HORNETS 111
In Charlotte, N.C., DeMar DeRozan scored 18 of his 28 points after halftime and Toronto overcame a slow start to beat Charlotte for its fourth straight win.
Serge Ibaka scored 15 of his 24 points in the first half for Toronto, and OG Anunoby shot 6 of 7 from beyond the arc while scoring 20 points. Toronto has won 10 of 11 and is in third place in the Eastern Conference.
PACERS 105, HAWKS 95
In Atlanta, Victor Oladipo scored 23 points, Myles Turner had 20 and Indiana beat Atlanta.
Bojan Bogdanovic had 19 points as Indiana won for the second time in five games. The Pacers rallied from a sluggish start to shoot 48.8 percent.
KINGS 104, NETS 99
In New York, George Hill scored 22 points, Zach Randolph added 21 and Sacramento completed its first back-to-back sweep of the season by beating Brooklyn.
The Kings got off to a sizzling start following their victory in Philadelphia a night earlier, then held on after Brooklyn cut a 21-point lead to two with just over a minute to play.
MAVERICKS 110, PISTONS 93
In Dallas, Harrison Barnes scored 25 points, rookie Dennis Smith Jr. had 15 points and five assists in his return from a hip injury and Dallas beat Detroit.
The Mavericks, last in the Western Conference, won for just the second time in eight games while ending a three-game Detroit winning streak that followed seven straight losses by the Pistons.