NEW YORK: Houston guard James Harden scored eight straight points in the final minutes as the Rockets held off a furious Washington Wizards comeback to secure a 114-107 win.
The Wizards trailed by 25 points early in the third quarter and were down 94-79 after three quarters.
Harden finished with 25 points and center Dwight Howard had 23, while John Wall paced the Wizards with 23 points and 10 assists.
DeMar DeRozan scored 26 points and grabbed seven rebounds and the Toronto Raptors snapped the Brooklyn Nets’ five-game winning streak with a 96-80 victory.
Terrence Ross added 14 points and Patrick Patterson also had 14 points while grabbing 12 rebounds after coming off the bench for the Raptors (18-17).
Paul Pierce led the Nets (15-22) with 15 points while Alan Anderson had 13 and Joe Johnson 11 respectively.
The New York Knicks won their fourth consecutive game, this time a resounding 102-92 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Amare Stoudemire knocked down his first eight shots and paced the Knicks (14-22) with 21 points on eight-for-10 shooting while Carmelo Anthony added 18 points.
JR Smith scored 14 points and Andrea Bargnani had 10 for the Knicks, who crept within four games of the Atlantic Division-leading Toronto Raptors.
REUTERS
