Season-high 57, including 36 in first half, for Harden

HOUSTON — James Harden scored a season-high 57 points to carry the short-handed Rockets to a 112-94 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday.

The reigning MVP extended his streak of 30-point games to 17 by halftime, pouring in 36 points over the first two quarters to put Houston on top.

It’s the longest such streak since Wilt Chamberlain had 20 straight games of at least 30 points in 1964.

It’s the franchise-record 14th time Harden has scored 40 this season and the eighth time in his last 11 games. It’s the third time he’s topped 50 points this season and the 12th time in his career. He surpassed his previous season best of 54 against Washington and fell just shy of the career-high and club-record 60 points he scored last January against Orlando.

Garrett Temple and Mike Conley scored 14 each for the Grizzlies, who lost for the eighth time in nine games.

Harden’s big game came on a night when the Rockets were without three starters, as center Clint Capela joined Chris Paul and Eric Gordon on the injured list after hurting his right thumb Sunday.

Harden scored 38 points Sunday in a loss to Orlando despite going 1-for-17 from 3-point range. This time, he made his first two 3s and finished 6 of 15. He also hit 15 of 17 free throws and pulled down nine rebounds.

At San Antonio, Kemba Walker scored 33 points and Tony Parker enjoyed a triumphant return to San Antonio as Charlotte snapped the Spurs’ seven-game home winning streak.

Parker had eight points, four assists and three rebounds in his first game back in San Antonio after signing with the Hornets during the offseason.

At New York, D’angelo Russell scored 18 of his 34 points in the third quarter, and Brooklyn ended a 10-game losing streak to Boston, sending the Celtics to a winless three-game road trip.

With Boston’s Kyrie Irving out with a bruised right quadriceps, the Nets broke open the game with a 15-0 run in the third period.

At Salt Lake City, Donovan Mitchell scored 28 points, and Rudy Gobert tied a career high with 25 rebounds to propel Utah past Detroit.

At Los Angeles, Anthony Davis had 46 points and 16 rebounds, Julius Randle added 27 points, and the New Orleans earned just its second road win this season against a Western Conference team.

Davis and Randle combined to score 24 of their team’s 28 points in the third quarter, when the Pelicans stretched their lead to 20.

At Sacramento, Calif., De’aaron Fox scored 16 points and made a key 3-pointer with 1:30 remaining to lift the Kings past Portland.