LOS ANGELES (AP) -- LeBron James had a season-high 48 points, nine assists and eight rebounds in his third 40-point performance since turning 38 less than three weeks ago, and the Los Angeles Lakers snapped a three-game skid with a 140-132 victory over the Houston Rockets on Monday night.
Russell Westbrook scored 24 for the Lakers, who never pulled away in another poor defensive game. James' brilliance in the 100th 40-point outing of his career _ including the postseason -- was just enough to hold off NBA-worst Houston.
James scored his 38,000th career point Sunday night, and he showed no ill effects while playing in back-to-back games despite the sore left ankle that has dogged him for weeks. After carrying the depleted Lakers for long stretches punctuated by fierce dunks and five 3-pointers, James hit a 17-foot jumper and four free throws in the final minute to preserve the Lakers' win.
James scored 40 points for the 72nd time in the regular season during his 20-year career. Only Michael Jordan has more 40-point games in NBA history after turning 35 _ Jordan had 12, and James has eight.
Kendrick Nunn had 15 points for the Lakers, who have won six of nine overall despite a thin roster.
Alperen Sengun scored a career-high 33 points and Jalen Green added 23 in the Rockets' 11th consecutive loss. Sengun, the 20-year-old Turkish center, went 14 of 17 from the field and added 15 rebounds and six assists.
CELTICS 130, HORNETS 118
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Jayson Tatum had 51 points, including seven 3-pointers, and Boston beat Charlotte for the second time in three days.
Derrick White added 19 points and eight assists and Malcolm Brogdon scored 16 for the Celtics.
Tatum was 15 of 23 from the field and 14 of 14 from the foul line.
Jalen McDaniels led the Hornets with a career-high 26 points on 5-of-7 shooting from 3-point range. LaMelo Ball finished with 25 points on 8-of-23 shooting.
WARRIORS 127, WIZARDS 118
WASHINGTON — Steph Curry scored 41 points and Jordan Poole added 32 points to help the wobbling Golden State Warriors to a 127-118 win over the Washington Wizards on Monday.
Golden State had lost four of five coming into the game.
Draymond Green had 17 points, 10 assists and six rebounds.
Kristaps Porzingis led Washington with 32 points. Kyle Kuzma added 16 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, but struggled from the field, where he was only 5 for 20.
BUCKS 132, PACERS 119
MILWAUKEE — Jrue Holiday scored a season-high 35 points to go along with 11 assists and Milwaukee beat Indiana without two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Bucks played a third consecutive game without Antetokounmpo due to left knee soreness. The Pacers were missing leading scorer and NBA assists leader Tyrese Haliburton for a third straight game due to a left elbow sprain and a mild left knee bone bruise.
Holiday shot 13 of 19 overall and 5 of 8 from 3-point range while collecting his third straight double-double.
Myles Turner returned for Indiana after missing three games with back spasms and scored 30 points. T.J. McConnell added a career-high 29 points and had nine assists.
CAVALIERS 113, PELICANS 103
CLEVELAND — Darius Garland scored 30 points, Jarrett Allen added 24 and Cleveland rallied in the fourth quarter with star Donovan Mitchell injured on the bench to beat New Orleans.
Mitchell scored 11 points in 22 minutes before sitting out the fourth with a strained left groin.
The Pelicans were once again without stars Zion Williamson (strained hamstring) and Brandon Ingram (bruised toe) due to injuries.
C.J. McCollum scored 25 and Jonas Valanciunas had 22 and 13 rebounds for the Pelicans.
RAPTORS 123, KNICKS 121
NEW YORK — Fred VanVleet scored 33 points, Scottie Barnes had 26 points and the Toronto Raptors recovered in overtime after RJ Barrett’s tying slam with 0.6 seconds left in regulation to beat the New York Knicks 123-121 on Monday.
Pascal Siakam had 20 points, nine assists and eight rebounds for the Raptors, but he was on the bench after fouling out when Toronto had to wait out Jalen Brunson’s missed 3-pointer in the final second before emerging with the victory.
O.G. Anunoby hit two 3-pointers in overtime as Toronto built a six-point lead, but New York nearly erased that in the final minute.
Barrett, who is from Toronto, scored 32 points and Brunson had 26 for the Knicks, who had their three-game winning streak snapped. Julius Randle finished with 21 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists.
HAWKS 121, HEAT 113
ATLANTA (AP) — Dejounte Murray scored 12 of his 28 points in the final period as Atlanta held off Miami’s comeback attempt.
Trae Young added 24 points as the Hawks, who never trailed, moved back to .500 with the win.
Miami had its three-game winning streak end despite Jimmy Butler’s 34 points. Bam Adebayo added 20 points and 13 rebounds.
JAZZ 126, TIMBERWOLVES 125
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Walker Kessler had career highs of 20 points and 21 rebounds, Jordan Clarkson added 21 points and Utah rallied from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat Minnesota.
Collin Sexton added 19 points off the bench for Utah, which had seven players score in double digits in its third win in four games.
Anthony Edwards scored 17 of his 29 points in the third quarter and D’Angelo Russell added 21 points for Minnesota.
Kyle Anderson had 13 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for the Timberwolves, who lost Rudy Gobert to lingering groin soreness early in the game.
GRIZZLIES 136, SUNS 106
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Ja Morant scored 29 points, Desmond Bane added 28 and Memphis extended its season-high winning streak to 10 games with a victory over injury-depleted Phoenix.
The Suns played without starters, Chris Paul and Devin Booker. Paul missed his fifth straight game with a right hip injury. Booker has not played since Christmas Day because of a groin injury.
Mikal Bridges scored 21 points and Deandre Ayton added 18 for the Suns, who lost for the ninth time in 10 games.
Jaren Jackson Jr. contributed 18 points and six blocks for the Grizzlies, who did not play Morant or Dillon Brooks in the fourth quarter when Memphis stretched its lead to as many as 36 points.
Memphis also scored 130 or more points for the third straight game, matching the franchise-record run of last February.
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