Green scores 41 as Rockets get eighth straight win
Wizards get consecutive wins for third time this season
HOUSTON — Jalen Green scored 41 points, Fred VanVleet added 10 3-pointers and a season-high 34 and the Houston Rockets made a season-best 27 3-pointers to beat the Utah Jazz 147-119 on Saturday night for their eighth straight win.
Jabari Smith Jr. and Kris Dunn were ejected five seconds into the second quarter after both were assessed technical fouls for fighting. The two threw punches at each other after they got tangled up while the ball was being brought up the court. Players and officials got between them before the scuffle could escalate further.
The Rockets’ win streak is their longest since winning eight in a row in November 2019. Houston closed within 1 ½ games of idle Golden State for 10th place and the last play-in spot in the Western Conference.
John Collins scored a season high-tying 25 points, and Collin Sexton added 20 points and eight assists for the Jazz, who tied a season high with their fifth straight loss.
WIZARDS 112, RAPTORS 109:
In Washington, Deni Avdija scored 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and Washington handed Toronto its 10th consecutive loss.
With just their third two-game winning streak of the season, the Wizards kept from falling below Detroit for the worst record in the NBA.
Jordan Poole scored 14 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter to spark a rally.
Bruce Brown missed a 3-point attempt at the buzzer that would have forced overtime, and the short-handed Raptors have not won since March 3.
Gary Trent Jr. led the Raptors
with 31 points.
KNICKS 105, NETS 93: In New York, Donte DiVincenzo scored 31 points, Miles McBride had 26 and New York beat Brooklyn.
Jalen Brunson and Isaiah Hartenstein each had 17 points in New York’s fifth win in six games. Brunson also had eight assists, and Hartenstein grabbed nine rebounds.
Brooklyn dropped its sixth consecutive game. Cam Thomas had 19 points for the Nets, and Mikal Bridges finished with 18.
KINGS 109, MAGIC 107: In Orlando, Fla., De’Aaron Fox hit tying and go-ahead free throws with 21.2 seconds left and finished with 31 points, and Keon Ellis added another free throw in the final seconds as Sacramento beat Orlando.
After Fox tied the game at 107 and put the Kings ahead at 108107, Ellis added a basket from the line with two seconds remaining and Sacramento ended Orlando’s five-game win streak.
Paolo Banchero missed a long 3-pointer attempt at the buzzer for the Magic.
Domantas Sabonis had 21 points and 14 rebounds for Sacramento, and Keegan Murray added 22 points.
Jonathan Isaac matched his career high with 25 points for the Magic.
SUNS 131, SPURS 106: In San Antonio, Devin Booker scored 32 points before sitting out the fourth quarter and Phoenix never trailed in steamrolling San Antonio.
Kevin Durant added 25 points for Phoenix, which led by as many as 32. Bradley Beal had 13 points and a season-high 12 assists.
Victor Wembanyama had 13 points, five rebounds, four assists and a blocked shot in 21 minutes as San Antonio lost its third straight and eighth in 10 games. Keldon Johnson had 14 points.
HAWKS 132, HORNETS 91: In Atlanta, Dejounte Murray made a season-high seven 3-pointers while scoring 28 points and Atlanta beat Charlotte to strengthen their hold on the final spot in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament.
Bruno Fernando scored a career-high 25 points and Garrison Mathews had 20, each in backup roles.
Murray was 7 of 9 on 3s and set a season high with 12 assists as he continued to handle lead point-guard duties in the team’s 14th consecutive game without injured All-Star Trae Young, still recovering from a finger injury.
The Hawks are 5 1/2 games ahead of No. 11 Brooklyn for 10th in the East.
Miles Bridges scored 27 points for the Hornets, who have lost four straight and 11 of 13 and were eliminated from playoff contention.
CELTICS 124, BULLS 113: In Chicago, Jayson Tatum scored 26 points, Sam Hauser and Al Horford added 23 apiece, and Boston beat Chicago to make it nine straight wins.
Hauser made 7 of 8 3-pointers, while Horford hit five of Boston’s 21 from beyond the arc. Derrick White scored 17. Payton Pritchard added 15 points and eight assists, and Luke Kornet grabbed 13 rebounds.
The Celtics pulled within two wins of their season-best streak even though Jaylen Brown (sprained right ankle) and Kristaps Porzingis (right hamstring) sat out the game.
DeMar DeRozan led Chicago with 26 points. Alex Caruso, Nikola Vucevic and Ayo Dosunmu each scored 14 as the Bulls dropped their second in a row.