Warriors hand Rockets a franchise record of 18 straight losses
HOUSTON — Draymond Green had 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists and the Golden State Warriors handed the Houston Rockets their franchise-record 18th straight loss, 108-94 on Wednesday night.
It was the third triple-double this season for Green and the 27th of his career.
Reserve Jordan Poole scored 23 points and made a career-high six 3-pointers to help the Warriors bounce back from a blowout loss to the Lakers on Monday. Golden State breezed past the struggling Rockets to snap a season-high four-game road losing streak.
Houston’s skid surpasses the 17 straight losses by the San Diego Rockets in 1968, when they went 15-67 in their first year as a franchise. It’s the first time the Rockets have lost nine consecutive home games since they dropped 11 straight in 1983.
Golden State’s Stephen Curry had 18 points and went 2 for 11 from 3-point range before sitting out the fourth quarter with a tailbone contusion.
Houston center Christian Wood returned after sitting out since Feb. 4 with a sprained right ankle. The Rockets had won seven of eight games before his injury. His first game out was when the skid started, and his return wasn’t nearly enough to get Houston back in the win column on a night when both John Wall and Victor Oladipo sat out.
Kevin Porter Jr. led the Rockets with 25 points and Wood finished with 21 points and nine rebounds.
The Warriors led by four after the first quarter before outscoring Houston 37-17 in the second period to make it 68-44 at halftime. Poole led Golden State in the second, making 15 points and hitting 4 of 6 3-point attempts.
The Rockets got no closer than 14 points in the second half.
BUCKS 109, 76ers 105, OT
PHILADELPHI — Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 10 of his 32 points in overtime to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 109-105 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night in a matchup of two of the Eastern Conference’s best teams.
Antetokounmpo finished with 15 rebounds and five assists, ending a streak of three straight triple-doubles. The Bucks pulled within 1 1/2 games of the East-leading 76ers.
With P.J. Tucker reportedly headed to Milwaukee in a trade with Houston, Donte DiVincenzo scored 20 points and Jrue Holiday added 19 for the Bucks. They have won five in a row and 10 of 11.
Milwaukee’s D.J. Augustin and D.J. Wilson, who according to ESPN are heading to Houston in the trade, did not play. Torrey Craig, reportedly headed Phoenix in a separate deal to clear salary space for Tucker, also sat out.
Tobias Harris scored 19 points and Danny Green added 18 for Philadelphia. The 76ers had won six in a row. All-Star Joel Embiid sat for the third straight game with a bruised left knee. Ben Simmons had 13 points and 12 assists.
NETS 125, PACERS 115
INDIANAPOLIS — James Harden had 40 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds for his 11th triple-double of the season, leading Brooklyn past Indiana.
The Nets were without fellow All-Stars Kyrie Irving (groin) and Kevin Durant (hamstring) and newcomer Blake Griffin (knee).
Harden hit a runner in the lane to tie it at 96 early in the fourth. That start
ed a 13-4 run that included Harden’s 3-pointer and another layup that pushed it to 109-100.
Joe Harris added 19 points for the Nets, and Jeff Green and Tyler Johnson each had 15.
Malcolm Brogdon led Indiana with 24 points, and Domantas Sabonis had a triple-double with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists.
CAVALIERS 117, CELTICS 110
CLEVELAND — Collin Sexton scored 29 points, Darius Garland added 25 and Cleveland’s young guards made big plays down the stretch to beat Boston.
The Cavs ended a four-game losing streak and a nine-game skid against Boston.
Cleveland played with a lead all night, but the Cavs had to hold off a second-half rally by Boston led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Tatum scored 29 points and Brown 28 for the Celtics, who lost at home to the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night.
KINGS 121, WIZARDS 119
WASHINGTON — De’Aaron Fox scored 28 points and hit a jumper over Bradley Beal with 0.7 seconds remaining to give lift Sacramento over Washington.
Harrison Barnes and Richaun Holmes each added 18 points for Sacramento.
Russell Westbrook had 26 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists — his 11th triple-double of the season — for the Wizards, and Beal scored 29 points on 12-of-20 shooting.
SPURS 106, BULLS 99
CHICAGO — Jakob Poeltl tied a career high with 20 points and set one with 16 rebounds and San Antonio used a huge fourth quarter to beat Chicago.
The Spurs trailed by 23 in the second quarter and were down 58-40 after their lowest-scoring first half of the season. But they dominated Chicago 39-19 in the fourth to come away with their second straight win after losing three of four.
Zach LaVine led Chicago with 29 points.
PISTONS 116, RAPTORS
DETROIT — Saddiq Bey had 28 points and 12 rebounds and Detroit overcame Norman Powell’s 43 points to beat Toronto.
Bey was 6 of 10 from 3-point range. Delon Wright added 18 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, and Jerami Grant had 23 points.
Chris Boucher added 21 points for the Raptors. They have lost six straight.