NBA Roundup: Harden, Clippers win eighth straight by taking down Pacers

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — James Harden scored 21 of his season-best 35 points in the fourth quarter and had nine assists as the Los Angeles Clippers extended the league’s longest active winning streak to eight games by routing the Indiana Pacers 151-127 on Monday night.

Kawhi Leonard added 28 points for Los Angeles and Paul George added 27 against his former team. Facing the league’s second-worst defense, the Clippers matched their season-high point total for a half with 77 in the first on the way to their highest-scoring game of the season.

Bennedict Mathurin had a season-high 34 points to lead Indiana. Isaiah Jackson scored 15 points while starting in place of injured two-time NBA blocks champion Myles Turner.

All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton had an off night after missing Saturday’s game with a bruised knee. He had eight points, 11 assists and four turnovers.

HAWKS 130, PISTONS 124

ATLANTA (AP) — Trae Young extended his recent hot streak with another double-double, scoring 31 points with 15 assists, as Atlanta handed Detroit their 24th consecutive loss.

The Pistons’ last win came on Oct. 28 against Chicago. Detroit is two losses away from matching the NBA’s longest losing streak in one season.

The NBA record for the longest losing streak within a single season is 26, shared by the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers and 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers lost a record 28 consecutive games over the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons.

Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with a career-high 43 points. Bojan Bogdanovic had 25 points.

KNICKS 114, LAKERS 109

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 11 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter, and New York overcame LeBron James’ 109th career triple-double for a victory over Los Angeles.

Julius Randle had 27 points and 14 rebounds, and Immanuel Quickley scored 20 points while the Knicks hung tough in the fourth quarter and survived a rally led by James to earn their second road win over the Lakers in 2023.

James had 25 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds for the Lakers, who have lost three of four since winning the inaugural In-Season Tournament. Anthony Davis had 32 points and 14 rebounds, but Los Angeles couldn’t capitalize on numerous chances down the stretch to close the gap.

TIMBERWOLVES 112, HEAT 108

MIAMI (AP) — Anthony Edwards scored 32 points, Karl-Anthony Towns added 18 and Minnesota clamped down in the second half to beat Miami.

Naz Reid scored 15, Mike Conley added 12 and Rudy Gobert grabbed 16 rebounds for the Timberwolves.

Minnesota improved to 20-5, tying idle Boston for the NBA’s best record. The Timberwolves gave up just 42 points in the second half, after trailing by as many as 17 points in the early going.

Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo returned from long injury absences and combined for 47 points for the Heat; Herro scored 25, Adebayo had 22. Jimmy Butler scored 15, Duncan Robinson 14 and Josh Richardson 13 for the Heat.

BULLS 108, 76ERS 104

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Coby White scored 24 points and Chicago held on to snap Philadelphia’s six-game winning streak.

Former Sixer Nikola Vucevic chipped in 23 points while DeMar DeRozan added 15 for the Bulls.

The Bulls have won six of their last nine even though they are playing without All-Star Zach LaVine, who has been sidelined with left foot inflammation and is likely still a little bit away from returning.

Joel Embiid had 40 points and 13 rebounds, his 11th straight game with 30 or more points and 10 or more boards. Tyrese Maxey added 29 points in the 76ers’ first loss to a team without a winning record this season after starting 12-0 against sub-.500 teams. No other Sixers player was able to crack double figures.

CAVALIERS 135, ROCKETS 130, OT

CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 37 points, Sam Merrill had a career-high 19 off the bench and Cleveland earned its 11th consecutive overtime victory by beating Houston.

Merrill had five points and Max Strus added four in the extra period, when Cleveland outscored Houston 13-8 to match the second-longest OT winning streak in NBA history. New Orleans owns the record with 13 victories in a row from 2006-08.

Rockets center Alperin Sengun made one free throw with 36.8 seconds left in regulation to tie it. Caris LeVert missed a 3-pointer on the Cavaliers’ subsequent possession and Sengun’s fadeaway at the buzzer rimmed out.

Fred VanVleet had season highs of 27 points and 17 assists, along with eight rebounds, and Sengun had 24 points, eight rebounds and six assists. The Rockets are 2-10 on the road and 11-1 at home.

THUNDER 116, GRIZZLIES 97

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 30 points and nine rebounds in three quarters to help Oklahoma City beat Memphis in the Grizzlies’ final game before Ja Morant returns from his suspension. 

Gilgeous-Alexander hit a game-winner at Denver on Saturday night and followed it up by making 8 of 18 field goals and 13 of 14 free throws against Memphis. 

Chet Holmgren had 17 points, seven blocks and six rebounds. Josh Giddey added 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Thunder, who have won four of five. 

Ziaire Williams scored 19 points and Desmond Bane added 17 for the Grizzlies (6-19), who have lost five straight. Jaren Jackson Jr., who had scored at least 40 points in two of his past three games, finished with 11.

NUGGETS 130, MAVERICKS 104

DENVER (AP) — Jamal Murray finished with 22 points, going 4 for 4 from 3-point range, to help Denver race past short-handed Dallas.

Aaron Gordon tied a season high with 21 points, while Nikola Jokic added eight points, nine rebounds and seven assists in a game where the Nuggets starters got the fourth quarter off. The Denver bench outscored the Mavericks reserves by a 62-34 margin to help the Nuggets bounce back from a home loss to Oklahoma City over the weekend.

Leading 77-70 with 6:48 remaining in the third, the Nuggets pulled away on the strength of a 21-10 run to close out the quarter. Murray helped ignite the pivotal run and had 10 points in the period. He’s finding his shooting touch after dealing with hamstring and ankle injuries this season.

Luka Doncic scored 22 of his 38 points in the second quarter to keep Dallas close. He also had 11 rebounds. The Mavericks were missing Kyrie Irving (heel), Josh Green (elbow), Max Kleber (toe) and Dereck Lively II (ankle).

KINGS 143, WIZARDS 131

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Domantas Sabonis had his 35th career triple-double with 28 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists as Sacramento beat Washington.

De’Aaron Fox scored 12 of his 30 points during Sacramento’s 46-point third quarter, and Keegan Murray added 25 on a night when six Kings scored in double figures. Harrison Barnes had 19, Kevin Huerter 14 and Malik Monk finished with 10 as Sacramento (16-9) won for the fourth time in five games.

Jordan Poole matched his career high with eight 3-pointers and scored 28 points for the Wizards. Kyle Kuzma added 27, but Washington (4-22) has lost 17 of its last 19 games.

RAPTORS 114, HORNETS 99

TORONTO (AP) — Pascal Siakam scored eight of his 27 points in the fourth quarter, Gary Trent Jr. had season highs of 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Toronto rallied past a Charlotte team missing Miles Bridges and three other starters.

Bridges was denied entrance to Canada due to his past legal problems, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press. Hornets coach Steve Clifford would not comment on the reason for Bridges’ absence before the game.

Charlotte was already without injured starters LaMelo Ball (right ankle), Gordon Hayward (illness) and Mark Williams (back), plus key reserve Cody Martin (left knee). 

Toronto’s Scottie Barnes scored 22 points and matched his career high with 17 rebounds. Dennis Schroder scored 13 points and Precious Achiuwa had 12. The Raptors outscored the Hornets 35-18 in the final period.

JAZZ 125, NETS 108

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Collin Sexton and Talen Horton-Tucker scored 27 points apiece to lead Utah over Brooklyn.

Sexton had his fifth straight 20-point game to help Utah win for the third time in four games. Horton-Tucker also had a team-high six assists. Lauri Markkanen added 20 points and 10 rebounds, and Walker Kessler tallied 14 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks.

Cam Thomas led the Nets with 32 points, and Spencer Dinwiddie chipped in 17 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds. Brooklyn’s three-game winning streak against Utah was snapped.