Rockets set NBA record with 26 3s in 136-118 win
By KRISTIE RIEKEN
HOUSTON (AP) _ James Harden scored 35 points as the Houston Rockets set an NBA record with 26 3-pointers and won their fifth straight game, 136-118, over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night.
A 3 by Gary Clark tied the record with 2:42 left and fans began chanting: “Three, three, three,” every time Houston got the ball after that. The Rockets
missed their next four tries before Michael Carter-Williams hit one with 31.1 seconds left and was greeted with loud cheers. The previous record was held by the Cleveland Cavaliers, who made 25 against Atlanta on March 3, 2017.
Harden made six 3s, Chris Paul added 5 and Gerald Green and Eric Gordon made 4 each on a night Houston attempted 55.
The winning streak ties their longest of the season and comes after the Rockets lost their previous three games.
Houston had a comfortable lead throughout most of this one and seven straight points, capped by a dunk from Clint Capela, made it 111-94 with about nine minutes left.
Tomas Satoransky and Bradley Beal made back-to-back 3-pointers for Washington after that, but Harden ended the run with a 3 that left Houston ahead 114-100.
The Rockets then used a 12-3 run, with all their points coming on 3s, to make it 123-103 with about five minutes left. Harden and Gordon both made one in that span and Green capped the spurt with two, and coach Mike D’Antoni cleared the bench soon after.
Beal had 28 points to lead the Wizards, who lost for the sixth time in seven games.
Houston led by 12 at halftime and a basket by Paul left the Rockets up 80-64 with about nine minutes left in the third quarter. The Wizards used a 6-3 run, with four points from Wall, after that to cut the lead to 83-70.
The Rockets made four quick points later in the quarter, highlighted by a nifty reverse layup by Gordon, to leave them up 91-76 with about 31/2 minutes left in the quarter.
Washington got within 11 late in the third quarter, but Harden scored the next five points, capped by a 3-pointer, to make it 101-85.
The Wizards scored the last five points of the quarter, with three free throws, to cut the lead to 101-90 entering the fourth.
The victory comes after the Wizards won the first meeting against Houston this season 135-131 in overtime on Nov. 26, despite a season-high 54 points from Harden.
The Wizards often double-teamed Harden in the first half, leaving others open, which led to easy baskets in the lane and a 70-58 lead by the Rockets at halftime.
TIP-INS
Wizards: Made 10 of 30 3-pointers. … John Wall added 18 points with 12 assists. … Trevor Ariza had 15 points in his second game since a trade from Phoenix.
Rockets: Gordon added 18 points. … James Ennis missed his fourth straight game with a strained right hamstring. … Houston had 15 turnovers.
UP NEXT
Wizards: Host Phoenix on Saturday night.
Rockets: Visit Miami on Thursday night.
Aldridge nets 20, hot-shooting Spurs rout Magic 129-90
By DICK SCANLON
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) _ LeMarcus Aldridge scored 20 points and five San Antonio players scored in double figures as the Spurs rolled to a 129-90 victory over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night.
The Spurs, the NBA’s leading 3-point shooting team, went 12 of 19 from behind the arc and 50 for 77 overall (64.9 percent) to win for the sixth time in seven games. San Antonio shot 69 percent through the first three quarter and led 104-77 heading into the final period.
Marco Belinelli came off the bench and scored 18 points on 7-for-9 shooting, and DeMar DeRozan and Bryan Forbes added 17 points each.
D.J. Augustin led Orlando with 17 points. Rookie center Mo Bamba had seven points, eight rebounds and two blocks in his first NBA start.
Aaron Gordon, who had 26 points in the Magic’s win at San Antonio on Nov. 4, went scoreless in the first half and finished with 12 points and nine rebounds.
Forbes, Belinelli and Davis Bertans combined for eight 3-pointers to help the Spurs (17-15) take a 20-point lead in the first 16 minutes.
Rudy Gay finished a 9-0 run with a dunk late in the first half, stretching San Antonio’s lead to 60-35.
The Magic never cut their deficit to less than 17 points in the second half.
TIP-INS
Spurs: Forbes, who was 2 for 13 from 3-point range in the preceding three games, was 3 for 3 in the first nine minutes and had 13 points. … The Spurs held a sixth straight opponent under 100 points. … Although nobody had more than seven rebounds, the Spurs had a 45-33 advantage.
Magic: C Nikola Vucevic missed his first game of the season due to the birth of his son, Filip, on Monday. … F Jonathon Simmons sprained his ankle in the third quarter and did not return . … The Magic have not won in Orlando since Nov. 18, although they were officially the “home” team in two wins at Mexico City last week.
UP NEXT
Spurs: At home against Minnesota on Friday night.
Magic: At Chicago on Friday night.