James Harden scored 41 points, including eight in overtime, to lead the Houston Rockets to a 115-111 win over the Denver Nuggets, after Arron Afflalo tied the game on a buzzer-beating three-pointer at the end of regulation.
Patrick Beverley sealed Houston’s seventh win in eight games by hitting four straight free throws in the final 17.8 seconds. Harden had a big game at the line, too, hitting 18 of 21.
Dwight Howard scored 24 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, despite a strained right knee that had him questionable for the game.
Photo: AFP
Wilson Chandler scored 23 points and Ty Lawson dished out 16 assists for the struggling Nuggets, who have dropped seven of eight.
RAPTORS 105, NETS 89
Kyle Lowry scored 20 points and had 12 assists, while Jonas Valanciunas added 16 points and 10 rebounds as the Toronto Raptors used a big fourth quarter to beat the Brooklyn Nets.
Amir Johnson and Patrick Patterson each scored 13 in the first meeting between the teams since Brooklyn’s one-point win in Game 7 of the first round of the playoffs last May.
Patterson and Lou Williams each scored eight points in the fourth as Toronto outscored the Nets 29-16, taking advantage of six Brooklyn turnovers.
Mason Plumlee had a career-high 23 points for the Nets, who made only five of 13 field-goal attempts and five of 13 free throws in the fourth.
Toronto, who lead the Eastern Conference at 20-6, reached 20 wins before Christmas for the first time in their 20-year history.
MAVERICKS 117, PISTONS 106
Chandler Parsons scored a season-high 32 points and Monta Ellis added 25 as the Dallas Mavericks beat the Detroit Pistons.
Parsons fell two points short of a career high as he helped the Mavericks win a second road game in two nights.
Dirk Nowitzki contributed 18 points and 10 rebounds, including seven points to help stem a late Detroit rally.
Andre Drummond had 19 points and 24 rebounds, but could not help the Pistons end an 11-game losing streak at home. Detroit’s last win at the Palace came on Nov. 7 against Milwaukee.
JAZZ 105, HEAT 87
Gordon Hayward scored 29 points, Enes Kanter added 18 and the Utah Jazz overcame Dwyane Wade’s 42 points to beat the Miami Heat.
Alec Burks scored 12, Derrick Favors added 11 and Dante Exum had 10 for Utah, who won for just the second time in their past 14 games.
Those two wins have come against last year’s NBA finalists, the San Antonio Spurs and now the Heat — who are simply reeling at home.
Wade shot 12 of 19 for Miami, who have lost seven of their past eight home games and dropped four straight on their floor for the first time since 2011. The Heat trailed by 17 in the first quarter and never recovered.
In other games, it was:
‧ Suns 111, Hornets 106
‧ Celtics 109, Magic 92
‧ Trail Blazers 104, Bucks 97
‧ Clippers 102, Pacers 100
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