Houston: James Harden scored 32 points, Clint Capela added a career-high 31 and the Houston Rockets beat the Denver Nuggets 125-113 on Monday night.
P.J. Tucker set a career best with seven 3-pointers and scored a season-high 21 points to help Houston win for the 12th time in 14 games. Capela had 19 points by halftime as Harden fed him again and again when Denver double-teamed him behind the 3-point line.
Gerald Green had 21 points and six 3s on a night when Houston made 22 for its sixth game this season with at least 20.
Nikola Jokic scored 24 points for the Nuggets, who had a five-game winning streak snapped.
Harden had 14 assists, six 3-pointers and scored at least 30 points for the 13th straight game.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 30 points and Malcolm Brogdon scored 21 to lead Milwaukee 114-102 past Utah. Thon Maker added a season-high 15 points off the bench for the Bucks, who were coming off a loss to Toronto on Saturday night. Milwaukee improved to 28-11, the second-best record in the NBA.
Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points and Rudy Gobert had 14 points and 15 rebounds for the Jazz, who lost starting point guard Ricky Rubio to a right hamstring injury less than five minutes into the game. He didn’t return.
Kyrie Irving returned after missing two games with an eye injury and scored 17 points to lead eight players in double figures as Boston beat Brooklyn 116-95. Jayson Tatum added 16 points for the Celtics, who won their third straight game.
DeMar DeRozan scored 26 points, and coach Gregg Popovich moved another step higher on the NBA’s career wins list as San Antonio defeated Detroit 119-107. Popovich has 1,221 victories. He’s tied with Jerry Sloan for third place, trailing only Don Nelson and Lenny Wilkens.
A 23-2 run spanning parts of the first and second quarters put the Spurs up 45-33.
