HOUSTON — James Harden scored 36 points, Russell Westbrook had 28 points and a triple-double, and the Houston Rockets coasted to their eighth straight win, 132-108 over the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night.
Westbrook had 13 rebounds and 10 assists for his third triple-double of the season and the 141st of his career after sitting out to rest in Houston’s last game on Saturday night.
The Rockets led by double digits for most of this one on a night they got starters Clint Capela and Danuel House back after both players had missed time with injuries.
Capela added a season-high 22 points and had 20 rebounds to become the first Rocket to have at least 20 rebounds in four straight games since Hall of Famer Elvin Hayes in 1971.
CJ McCollum led the Trail Blazers with 25 points in a game where Damian Lillard shot just 4 of 15 and had 13 points.
MAVERICKS 117, SPURS 110
DALLAS — Luka Doncic scored a career-high 42 points in his sixth triple-double of the young NBA season and Dallas sent San Antonio to its sixth straight loss.
The 20-year-old second-year player leads the NBA in triple-doubles after finishing with 11 rebounds and 12 assists to go with the biggest shot of the game, a 3-pointer with 26.5 seconds to play that put the Mavericks up 115-110. Doncic joined LeBron James as the only players in NBA history younger than 21 to have a 40-point triple-double.
Dorian Finney-Smith added a career-best 22 points and Kristaps Porzingis had 18 points and 10 rebounds for Dallas.
San Antonio has lost eight of nine and is off to its worst start since 1996-97, the season before it drafted former star and current assistant coach Tim Duncan.
CELTICS 99, SUNS 85
PHOENIX — Jayson Tatum scored 26 points, Kemba Walker added 19 and Boston beat Phoenix.
Boston (11-2) had a 10-game winning streak snapped Sunday by the Sacramento Kings but bounced back with a relatively easy road victory. The Celtics led by 15 at halftime and never had their lead cut to less than nine in the second half.
Tatum shot 8 of 16 from the field and added 11 rebounds. Marcus Smart scored 17 points but left early in the fourth quarter because of a sprained right ankle.
Phoenix (7-5) was playing without starting point guard Ricky Rubio, who was out because of back spasms. Devin Booker led the Suns with 20 points and Kelly Oubre Jr. added 15.
CLIPPERS 90, THUNDER 88
LOS ANGELES — Paul George hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 25 seconds left, lifting Los Angeles over Oklahoma City to improve to 8-1 at home.
The Thunder had just tied the game at 86-all on a 3-pointer by former Clipper Danilo Gallinari before Chris Paul made two free throws after being fouled by George for an 88-86 lead.
George’s 3 put the Clippers ahead 89-88.
Montrezl Harrell had 28 points and 12 rebounds off the bench to lead the Clippers. George finished with 18 points after scoring 30-plus points in his first two games of the season.
Paul scored 22 points, making 10 of 11 free throws, against his former team. Gallinari added 14 points and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, another former Clipper, had 11 points despite five fouls.
BUCKS 115, BULLS 101
CHICAGO — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 33 points and 10 rebounds, and Milwaukee beat Chicago for its fourth straight victory.
Brook Lopez added 19 points and 10 rebounds as Milwaukee won for the eighth time in nine games. The Bucks also beat the Bulls 124-115 on Thursday in Milwaukee.
Antetokounmpo was 13 for 22 in his 13th consecutive double-double to begin the season. It’s the longest active streak in the NBA.
Daniel Gafford led Chicago with 21 points in his return from the G League. Coby White had 13, and Ryan Arcidiacono finished with 12.
TIMBERWOLVES 112, JAZZ 102
SALT LAKE CITY — Karl-Anthony Towns had seven 3-pointers and 29 points, and Minnesota handed Utah its first home loss.
Without second-leading scorer Andrew Wiggins, the Timberwolves held the Jazz to 36.8% shooting and were bolstered by Jeff Teague’s 21 points and 11 assists.
Kelan Martin had seven of his 14 points in Minnesota’s decisive run in the fourth quarter, and Robert Covington added 15 points.
Bojan Bogdanovic scored 18 points before fouling out and Donovan Mitchell had 17 points on 5-for-24 shooting for Utah.
RAPTORS 132, HORNETS 96
TORONTO — OG Anunoby scored a career-high 24 points before being poked in the right eye for the second time in four games, Pascal Siakam had 20 points and Toronto routed Charlotte.
Norman Powell scored 17 points, rookie Terence Davis got all of his career-high 16 points in the fourth quarter and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson added 15 as the Raptors posted their biggest margin of victory of the season and remained unbeaten in five home games. They also ended a two-game skid against the Hornets.
Marvin Williams scored 14 points, Bismack Biyombo and Miles Bridges each had 13, and Devonte’ Graham 11 as Charlotte allowed its highest point total of the season and lost for the fifth time in seven games.
PACERS 115, NETS 86
NEW YORK — Aaron Holiday had career highs with 24 points and 13 assists, Domantas Sabonis added 16 points and a career-high 18 rebounds, and Indiana cruised over Brooklyn.
Justin Holiday chipped in 20 points while T.J. Warren added 19 for the Pacers, who snapped a two-game losing streak.
Spencer Dinwiddie scored 28 points and Jarrett Allen finished with 10 points and 12 rebounds for the Nets, who played without Kyrie Irving for a second straight game and were held to their lowest point total of the season.
KNICKS 123, CAVALIERS 105
NEW YORK — Julius Randle scored 30 points, Marcus Morris Sr. added 23 and New York beat Cleveland.
R.J. Barrett added 15 points and Damyean Dotson had 11 for New York.
Kevin Porter Jr. led Cleveland with 18 points. Collin Sexton and Alfonzo McKinnie each had 14.