Nets’ Harden thrives in return to Houston
Triple-double helps Brooklyn extend road run
HOUSTON — James Harden had 29 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds in the first meeting against his former Houston teammates as the Brooklyn Nets won 132-114 on Wednesday to hand the Rockets their 13th straight loss.
The Nets set a franchise record with their seventh straight road victory and have won 10 of their past 11 overall.
The skid is the longest for the Rockets, who had just eight players available because of injuries, since they lost 15 in a row in 2001. They’ve struggled since Harden was traded Jan. 14 and haven’t won since Feb. 4.
John Wall scored 36 points and Victor Oladipo 33 for Houston, which cut its deficit to eight points with eight minutes left. But Brooklyn scored the next eight points, with Harden hitting two 3-pointers.
■ Pacers 114, Cavaliers 111: At Cleveland, T.J. Mcconnell set an NBA record with nine first-half steals and totaled 16 points, 13 assists and a franchise-best 10 steals for Indiana, which overcame a 19-point third-quarter deficit and halted Cleveland’s four-game win streak.
■ Bulls 128, Pelicans 124: At New Orleans, Zach Lavine capped his 36-point effort with a driving layup and four free throws in the final minute for Chicago, which led by 18 in the fourth quarter. New Orleans missed 16 of 22 3-point tries.
■ Kings 123, Lakers 120: At Sacramento, Calif., Buddy Hield shook off a sore ankle to score 29 points for Sacramento in its second win in 12 games. Los Angeles was without Lebron James (ankle sprain) and Anthony Davis (calf strain).
■ Hawks 115, Magic 112: At Orlando, Fla., Trae Young hit the go-ahead free throws with eight seconds left and totaled 32 points for Atlanta, which overcame a 19-point halftime deficit and handed Orlando its fifth straight loss.
■ 76ers 131, Jazz 123, OT: At Philadelphia, Joel Embiid hit a tying 3-pointer with 5.9 seconds left in regulation and totaled 40 points and 19 rebounds for Philadelphia. Donovan Mitchell scored 33 points for Utah.
■ Mavericks 87, Thunder 78: At Dallas, Kristaps Porzingis had 19 points and 13 rebounds with All
Star European sidekick Luka Doncic sidelined by a back issue for Dallas, which won for the 10th time in 13 games.
■ Trail Blazers 108, Warriors 106: At Portland, Ore., Damian Lillard hit a deep 3-pointer with 13.7 seconds left and totaled 22 points for Portland. Stephen Curry scored 35 for Golden State.
■ Hornets 135, Timberwolves 102: At Minneapolis, Terry Rozier scored 31 points for Charlotte, which dealt Minnesota its ninth straight loss and fifth in a row under new coach Chris Finch.
■ Pistons 129, Raptors 105: At Tampa, Fla., Wayne Ellington had 25 points to lead three 20-point scorers for Detroit, which got 56 points from reserves and halted a three-game