Spurs claim 21st straight home win over Hawks, 117-111
By RAUL DOMINGUEZ
SAN ANTONIO (AP) _ DeMar DeRozan scored 29 points and the San Antonio Spurs defeated Atlanta 117-111 Tuesday night for their 21st straight win at home over the Hawks.
San Antonio point guard Derrick White added 23 points after scoring 12 total points in his previous two games.
The Spurs remain seventh in the Western Conference at 45-33.
The Hawks, who were eliminated from the playoffs last month, entered Tuesday’s game having won six of 10. Atlanta led by as many as nine points in the second half, before San Antonio rallied in the fourth to avoid its second straight loss at home.
Kent Bazemore had 26 points to lead the Hawks, and Alex Len added 21.
Atlanta closed the third quarter on an 18-6 run and carried a 90-86 lead into the fourth. The Hawks made four 3-pointers in the run, including a pair by Len, their 7-foot-1 center.
The Spurs countered with a 15-4 run beginning midway through the final quarter and took a 108-104 lead with 3:39 remaining. White had seven straight points during the outburst, including his third and final 3-pointer in as many attempts.
DeRozan added seven assists and seven rebounds in 38 minutes. Rudy Gay, who finished with 11 rebounds, was the only Spurs starter not to score in double figures.
Both teams got off to an efficient start, making their first three shots on their first three possessions. The Spurs closed the quarter shooting 59% from the field and took a 33-31 lead while the Hawks shot 48%.
TIP-INS
Hawks: Atlanta’s previous win in San Antonio was on Feb. 15, 1997. Steve Smith and Mookie Blaylock combined for 46 points in a 109-89 victory. . Atlanta had six players sit out with injuries. Dewayne Dedmon (left), Alex Poythress (right) and Omari Spellman each were suffering an ankle injury. … Forward Taurean Prince missed his third straight game with a sore foot. . The Hawks are 12-27 on the road this season.
Spurs: San Antonio, which plays Denver on Wednesday, is 11-14 in back-to-back games this season and 4-8 on the second night. . Guard Lonnie Walker IV made an early appearance, entering the game with 3:51 remaining in the first quarter. The rookie from Miami is averaging 6.4 minutes in 12 appearances. . DeRozan picked up a technical foul with 10.1 seconds remaining in the first half as he walked to the bench berating Ed Malloy for a charge called against him. . White had two blocked shots, raising his season total to 44.
UP NEXT
Hawks: Host Philadelphia on Wednesday night.
Spurs: At Denver on Wednesday night.
Harden scores 36, Rockets rout Kings 130-105
By MICHAEL WAGAMAN
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) _ James Harden had 36 points and 10 assists, Houston matched its season high with 26 3-pointers and the Rockets beat the Sacramento Kings 130-105 Tuesday night.
Eric Gordon and Danuel House Jr. each scored 19 points, Kenneth Faried added 12 points and 11 rebounds, and P.J. Tucker scored 13. The Rockets have won 17 of 20.
Houston (50-28) moved a half-game ahead of idle Portland for third place in the Western Conference. It’s the fifth time in the six years that the Rockets have had at least 50 victories.
Buddy Hield had 20 points and seven rebounds for Sacramento. The Kings (38-40) have lost four of six.
Coming off a 50-point, triple-double against the Kings on Saturday, Harden had another big night to help the Rockets complete a four-game season sweep of Sacramento.
Harden scored 23 points in the first half, made three of his seven 3s during a two-minute span in the third quarter, and added another 3-pointer in the fourth that made it 114-89.
In the four games against the Kings this season, Harden scored 156 points and had 29 assists and 24 rebounds.
That helped keep Houston rolling on a night when point guard Chris Paul had an off night scoring, finishing with seven points while going 1 of 7 from 3-point range. Paul, who had 12 assists, also had two steals to move past Alvin Robertson into ninth place all-time in the NBA. Paul has 2,113.
Houston led by 16 points at halftime, led 89-68 late in the third following a 4-point play by Harden, then made six consecutive 3s in the fourth to blow the game open.
TIP-INS
Rockets: It’s the 16th time this season that Houston has made 20 or more 3-pointers. . The Rockets’ biggest lead was 30 points late in the fourth when Chris Chiozza made a 3. . Houston’s 30 assists were two shy of its season high of 32.
Kings: Marvin Bagley III had 19 points on 7-of-18 shooting and eight rebounds off the bench. . Harry Giles missed his seventh consecutive game with a left thigh contusion.
UP NEXT
Rockets: Play the Clippers in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
Kings: Host the Cavaliers on Thursday.
