OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – The Rockets are still rolling.
Chris Paul scored 25 points, James Harden had 23 points and 11 assists, and Houston beat the Oklahoma City Thunder, 122-112, on Tuesday night for its 16th straight victory.
The Rockets matched Boston for the longest win streak in the league this season and are on the second-longest win streak in franchise history. Harden was blunt when asked what those things meant to him.
“Nothing,” he said. “Nothing at all. We just want to play well. We want to play well and have each other’s back, no matter what, on both ends of the floor. It doesn’t matter. Wins and losses will come.”
Trevor Ariza scored 15 points and Eric Gordon added 14 for the Rockets.
Russell Westbrook scored 32 points and Carmelo Anthony added 23 for Oklahoma City, which is in a logjam of teams trying to fight their way into third place in the West.
CURRY SIZZLES
In Oakland, Stephen Curry scored 34 points with six 3-pointers, and the Golden State Warriors won their sixth straight since the All-Star break by beating the Brooklyn Nets 114-101 on Tuesday night.
Kevin Durant added 19 points and six rebounds for the defending champions, who are still trying to put together four steady quarters.
D’Angelo Russell had 22 points for the Nets, who hung tough through three quarters but couldn’t last. They lost by three points at the Clippers on Sunday.
Curry sure didn’t seem to be slowed down a bit after the two-time MVP tweaked his troublesome right ankle Friday at Atlanta. He was fine at practice Monday after two days off.
Curry scored 11 straight points during a 25-0 run that turned a 14-10 deficit into a 35-14 lead late in the opening quarter.
The Nets came roaring back in a cold, 13-point second quarter by Golden State and took a 53-48 lead into halftime. The Warriors shot 6 for 18 in the second.
Draymond Green’s 3-pointer from the top with 9:43 to play put the Warriors up 93-81. Green wound up with 16 points, nine assists and five rebounds while committing six turnovers.
Klay Thompson struggled to find his shooting touch early, scoring 18 points and finally making his first 3-pointer with 3:55 to play. He dished out five assists.
Thompson needs two more 3-pointers to reach 200 or more 3s for the sixth straight time, which would tie Curry for an NBA record of most such seasons with 200 or more 3s _ and also for doing it in successive years. Ray Allen has the second-most seasons with 200-plus 3s in NBA history at five.
Warriors rookie forward Jordan Bell landed awkwardly on his right ankle and sprained it trying to block a shot by Russell with 8.4 seconds left in the third and hobbled to the bench, grimacing in pain. He was scheduled for X-rays.
Bell, who scored five early points, had just made a one-game appearance with Santa Cruz in the G League. He recently missed 14 games with a left ankle injury.
Curry became the seventh player in Warriors history to make 5,000 career field goals. The others: Wilt Chamberlain, Rick Barry, Chris Mullin, Paul Arizin, Jeff Mullins and Nate Thurmond.
