By ASSOCIATED PRESS
DENVER (AP) — Jalen Green scored 34 points, Alperen Sengun had 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists and the Houston Rockets beat the short-handed Denver Nuggets, 128-108, on Wednesday night, Jan. 15.
Green, who hit six 3-pointers, continued his recent scoring surge. He is averaging 32 points in Houston’s last six games, including a career-best 42 points against Memphis on Monday.
Fred VanVleet added 16 points, eight assists and three steals for the Rockets, who beat Denver for the fifth time in six meetings.
The Nuggets were without two of their five leading scorers in reigning league MVP Nikola Jokic (right elbow inflammation) and Aaron Gordon (right calf injury).
Jamal Murray and Christian Braun each scored 22 point for Denver, which had 18 turnovers in the loss, including five apiece from its starting backcourt of Murray and Russell Westbrook.
Houston won its fifth in a row and improved to 10-3 in its last 13 games to solidify its standing as the No. 2 team in the Western Conference.
Denver, which had won eight of its previous 10 games, absorbed its most lopsided defeat since a 145-118 loss to the New York Knicks on Nov. 25.
Meanwhile in Minneapolis, Stephen Curry made seven 3-pointers and scored 31 points to help the Golden State Warriors stave off a furious comeback by the Minnesota Timberwolves for a 116-115 victory.
Andrew Wiggins added 24 points for a depleted Warriors team seeking a spark on the last stop on a four-game trip after falling below .500 for the first time this season in a loss Monday at Toronto.
Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo each scored 28 points for the Wolves, who trailed by 24 points late in the first quarter and fought back for a 108-all tie with 1:07 left.
After Gary Payton II stepped out in a backcourt trap, DiVincenzo took an easy layup to cut the lead to 113-112 with 12.1 seconds left and promptly fouled Payton. He missed the second free throw, but Wiggins grabbed the rebound and Curry sealed it with two foul shots.
In Los Angeles, Rui Hachimura scored 23 points and Anthony Davis had 22 points and 11 rebounds as the Lakers snapped a three-game skid with a 117-108 victory over the Miami Heat.
LeBron James finished with 22 points and nine assists and Austin Reaves added 14 points and 14 rebounds as the Lakers won for the first time since having two games postponed due to the deadly wildfires in Southern California.
In New Orleans, Dejounte Murray scored 30 points, Trey Murphy III had a disputed block of Spencer Dinwiddie’s layup for the lead with 4 seconds left and the Pelicans outlasted the injury-depleted Dallas Mavericks, 119-116.
Murphy had 24 points and 10 rebounds, capped by game-sealing free throws with 2 seconds left, but video replays made his block look more like a goaltend that wasn’t called. The ball appeared to hit the glass before Murphy touched it, but the Mavs were out of timeouts and could not challenge.
In Salt Lake City, Mark Williams scored a career high 31 points and had 13 rebounds to help the Charlotte Hornets beat the Utah Jazz, 117-112.
LaMelo Ball added 27 points, nine assists and three blocks to help Charlotte snap a seven-game road losing streak. Miles Bridges had 25 points and 10 rebounds, and Brandon Miller finished with 20 points.
In San Antonio, Ja Morant had 21 points and 12 assists to lead the Memphis Grizzlies to a 129-115 win over the Spurs.
Desmond Bane scored 21 points, Santi Aldama added 20 and Jaren Jackson Jr. 19 for Memphis, which had lost four of its last six games entering Wednesday.
