Texas: James Harden finished one rebound shy of a 40-point triple-double, and the host Houston Rockets erased a 15-point deficit to beat the Charlotte Hornets 125-110 on Tuesday. Harden was exceptional throughout but especially down the stretch, fueling a 12-3 run in the fourth quarter that enabled Houston to secure control. He finished with 12 assists, nine rebounds and three steals as the Rockets prevailed despite the absence of Russell Westbrook (thumb) and Clint Capela (heel).
Danuel House Jr. had 22 points and nine rebounds for Houston while P.J. Tucker posted 13 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Miles Bridges and Terry Rozier scored 20 apiece for the Hornets, who have dropped four in a row and 12 of their past 13 games. Bridges added a game-high 15 rebounds.
Milwaukee Bucks 120 – New Orleans Pelicans 108
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 34 points and 17 rebounds, and visiting Milwaukee used a third-quarter surge to pull away from New Orleans.
The Bucks trailed for most of the first half and were down 61-58 at halftime before outscoring the Pelicans 42-24 in the third quarter. Antetokounmpo scored 16 in the period. Fellow All-Star Khris Middleton added 20 points for Milwaukee.
All-Star forward Brandon Ingram led New Orleans with 32 points, and rookie Zion Williamson scored 20 (although on 5-of-19 shooting). – Agencies
