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Saturday 29 december 2018
Harden scores 45, Rockets beat Celtics 127-113
By The Associated Press the field, including 9 of 18
HOUSTON (AP) — James on 3-pointers. Eric Gordon
Harden had 45 points and scored 20 points for Hous- six straight games, the lon- champion Golden State on home. They took a 127-101
six assists, Clint Capela ton, which shot 48 percent
added 24 points and 18 re- while improving to a sea-
bounds, and the Houston son-high four games above
Rockets beat the Boston .500. Houston finished 18 of
Celtics 127-113 on Thursday 45 on 3-pointers.
night for their eighth win in Harden has scored at least
nine games. 30 points in eight straight
Harden, who was playing games, the longest such
on a bruised left calf, had streak since Russell West-
17 points in the first quarter brook had eight straight
and finished 11 of 26 from 30-point games in No-
vember 2016. Harden has Lakers’ 127-101 victory over come a comedy of errors in
scored at least 35 points in two-time defending NBA losing a second straight at
gest streak since Carmelo Christmas when he slipped beating from the Lakers on
Christmas night.
76ERS 114, JAZZ 97
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — JJ
Redick scored 24 points
and Joel Embiid had 23
points, 15 rebounds and
five blocks to help Philadel-
phia cruise past Utah.
Ben Simmons, who was se-
lected over Utah’s Dono-
van Mitchell as Rookie of
the Year last season, had
his fifth triple-double of the
season with 13 points, 14 re-
bounds and 12 assists.
Mitchell scored 23 points,
Dante Exum added a sea-
son-high 20 and Rudy Gob-
ert had 17 points and 15 re-
bounds for the Jazz.
Embiid, who has a league-
leading 31 double-dou-
bles, and Gobert both had
bright moments in the post
but the Jazz let Redick get
loose for six 3-pointers. Jim-
Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) applies defensive my Butler was also effective
pressure against Boston Celtics guard Kyrie Irving during the
first half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018, on the perimeter and drives
in Houston. for dunks as he scored 19
Associated Press points.
BUCKS 112, KNICKS 96
Anthony had six straight in while going for a loose ball. MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis
April 2013. Kyle Kuzma had 34 points Antetokounmpo had 31
Kyrie Irving had 23 points to help make up for James’ points and 14 rebounds,
and 11 assists, Marcus Mor- absence, and Lonzo Ball Khris Middleton added 25
ris added 19 points before added 20 points, 12 assists points and Milwaukee beat
being ejected midway and nine rebounds. But the New York for its sixth win in
through the fourth quar- Lakers struggled down the seven games.
ter, and Jaylen Brown had stretch and lost their fourth The Bucks swept the home-
18 points off the bench for in six games. and-home series, having
Boston, which shot 47 per- TRAIL BLAZERS 110, WAR- won at New York 109-95 on
cent but was outrebound- RIORS 109, OT Christmas.
ed 54-38. OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Da- Luke Kornet, making his first
KINGS 117, LAKERS 116 mian Lillard hit a go-ahead start of the season in place
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) 3-pointer with 6.3 seconds of Enes Kanter, tied a ca-
— Bogdan Bogdanovic left in overtime and scored reer high with 23 points,
made a 3-pointer at the 21 points in his final regular- and Noah Vonleh added
buzzer and Sacramento season game at home in 15 points and 13 rebounds
rallied from 15 points down Oakland, sending Portland for the Knicks. New York,
in the fourth quarter to beat past Golden State in a wild playing without leading
Los Angeles in the Lakers’ one. scorer Tim Hardaway Jr.
first game this season with- Kevin Durant missed a because of an illness, lost its
out LeBron James. 13-footer off the front rim sixth straight.
Bogdanovic finished with as the final buzzer sounded Kanter was ejected with
23 points and De’Aaron Fox but finished with his second 9:56 left in the fourth quar-
added 15 points, 12 assists triple-double of the season: ter after being assessed
and nine rebounds. Willie 26 points, 11 assists and 10 two technical fouls. Ante-
Cauley-Stein had 19 points rebounds. tokounmpo drove to the
and eight rebounds, while Jusuf Nurkic had 27 points basket and was knocked
Iman Shumpert scored 18 and 12 rebounds for the down by Kanter, although
points and matched his ca- Blazers. no foul was called. The two
reer high with six 3s. Durant hit a tying 3-point- got into a brief altercation
James was held out with er with 19 seconds left in as Antetokounmpo ran
a groin injury, ending his regulation following a driv- back up the court. Each
consecutive games played ing one-handed dunk the player was called for a
streak at 156. The four-time previous possession but technical, then Kanter was
MVP was injured during the the Warriors couldn’t over- called for a second.q