James' 3-pointers lead Lakers' rout of Spurs
LEBRON James scored 19 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter as the Los Angeles Lakers overcame a slow start shooting from the field and cruised to a 129-102 victory Tuesday over the San Antonio Spurs.
Anthony Davis and Kyle Kuzma scored 18 points each, while Kuzma added 12 rebounds, as the Lakers won at home for the first time since the death of former Laker Kobe Bryant and eight others in a helicopter crash Jan. 26.
DeMar DeRozan scored 28 points and Bryn Forbes added 13 for the Spurs, who lost on back-to-back nights in Staples Center after falling to the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night. The Spurs have dropped five of their past seven games.
Nuggets quiet Lillard, beat Blazers
Nikola Jokic had 29 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists, Jamal Murray scored 20 in his return to the lineup after missing 10 games, and the host Denver Nuggets beat the Portland Trail Blazers 127-99 on Tuesday night.
Jerami Grant scored 17, Will Barton added 16 points, and Malik Beasley scored 14 for the Nuggets, who have won all three meetings with Portland this season. Denver won for the third time in four games.
Damian Lillard was held to 21 points, his lowest output since Jan. 9, and CJ McCollum had 20 for Portland. The Trail Blazers had their four-game winning streak snapped.
Lillard, who had nine assists in the loss, came into Tuesday averaging 48.8 points and 10.2 assists over his previous six games but he was held down by Denver. He shot 8-for-23 from the field and hit just one of his six 3-point attempts. He had made 49 3-pointers over the previous five games. Gary Trent Jr. added 11 points and Anfernee Simmons had 10 for Portland.
Harden puts up 40 as Rockets overtake Hornets
James Harden finished one rebound shy of a 40-point triple-double, and the Houston Rockets erased a 15-point deficit to beat the visiting Charlotte Hornets 125-110 on Tuesday. Harden was exceptional throughout but especially down the stretch, fueling a 12-3 run in the fourth quarter that enable Houston to secure control.
Harden hit a 3-pointer, converted a floater in the lane and fed Danuel House Jr. for a transition alley-oop en route to 40 points and 12 assists to help Houston win despite the absence of Russell Westbrook (thumb) and Clint Capela (heel).
House added 22 points and nine rebounds while P.J. Tucker posted 13 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three steals. After allowing 14 second-chance points in the first quarter, Houston surrendered eight over the final three periods to mitigate a 53-41 rebounding deficit.
Miles Bridges and Terry Rozier scored 20 apiece for the Hornets, who have dropped four in a row and 12 of their past 13 games. Bridges added a game-high 15 rebounds.
Malik Monk scored 19 off the bench for Charlotte while Devonte' Graham produced 16 points and 10 assists.