New Orleans
Harden’s highlights included his usual array of explosive drives and pull-up jumpers, including a 27-foot, straight-on 3 that put the Rockets up by nine with 1:31 left.
Chris Paul added 21 points and Clint Capela had 13 points and 11 rebounds for the Rockets, winners of four straight since their 17-game winning streak ended against Toronto.
Anthony Davis had 26 points and 13 rebounds, and Jrue Holiday scored 19 points for New Orleans, which has lost four of five since winning 10 straight.
Cavaliers 114, Bulls 109
Chicago
James had 12 rebounds and 12 assists for his 15th triple-double of the season, and Jeff Green added 21 points. Clarkson finished with 19 points to help the Cavaliers salvage a six-game split on their season-high six-game trip.
Denzel Valentine led Chicago with a career-high 34 points, hitting 8 of 11 from long range. The Bulls wiped out a 17-point halftime deficit even though they held out banged-up core players Lauri Markkanen, Zach LaVine and Kris Dunn, only to come up short in the closing minutes.
Knicks 124, Hornets 101
New York
New York had five players in double figures in its highest scoring game of the season. Frank Ntilikina had 15 points, Trey Burke scored 14 and Troy Williams finished with 13.
The Knicks outscored the Hornets 42-17 in the third quarter. Charlotte was just 4 of 23 from the field in the period.
Nets 114, Mavericks 106
New York
DeMarre Carroll had 19 points and 12 rebounds, and Caris LeVert and Joe Harris each chipped in 11 points for the Nets, who snapped a three-game skid.
Wizards 109, Pacers 102
Washington
Washington (40-30) earned its second straight win to move into a tie with Indiana for fourth in the Eastern Conference standings. The Wizards also claimed the first tiebreaker by taking two of three in the season series.
Bucks 122, Hawks 117
Milwaukee
The Bucks finished off the Eastern Conference’s worst team with a game-ending 11-5 run, pushing the pace after the Hawks lost ball-handler Dennis Schroder. The guard fouled out with 2:46 left, and was called for a technical foul after exchanging words with an official on the way to the sideline.
Middleton hit the free throw that started the run. The Hawks looked rushed on their next two possessions with a turnover and a blocked shot, allowing the Bucks to brush past them.
