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NBA: James Harden leads Brooklyn Nets past San Antonio Spurs; Utah Jazz beaten by New Orleans Pelicans

By Skysports
Basketball NBA: James Harden leads Brooklyn Nets past San Antonio Spurs; Utah Jazz beaten by New Orleans Pelicans
MAR 2, 2021 LISTEN

James Harden's seventh triple-double of the season inspired Brooklyn Nets to victory over San Antonio Spurs, while the Utah Jazz slipped to a third defeat in six games.

Monday night's NBA results

  • Dallas Mavericks 130 - 124 Orlando Magic
  • Indiana Pacers 114 - 130 Philadelphia 76ers
  • Denver Nuggets 118 - 112 Chicago Bulls
  • Utah Jazz 124 - 129 New Orleans Pelicans
  • Brooklyn Nets 124 - 113 San Antonio Spurs (OT)
  • Cleveland Cavaliers 101 - 90 Houston Rockets
  • Charlotte Hornets 111-123 Portland Trail Blazers
  • Brooklyn Nets 124-113 San Antonio Spurs

James Harden warmed up for his return to Houston on Wednesday night with 30 points, 15 assists and 14 rebounds as the Brooklyn Nets beat the San Antonio Spurs 124-113 in overtime.

The Nets were up 108-98 with 2:12 to play in regulation before San Antonio scored 10 straight points, the final two on Dejounte Murray's off-balance, scrambling jumper from just inside the arc at the buzzer that sent the game into overtime.

However, Brooklyn scored the first eight points of the extra period and never looked back to secure a ninth win in their past 10 matches and a first win in San since January 2002, a span of 17 straight games.

Kyrie Irving added 27 points for the Nets with Bruce Brown scoring 23 and Nicolas Claxton hitting a season-best 17 points off the bench. DeAndre Jordan grabbed 13 rebounds for Brooklyn.

Harden's triple-double was his seventh of the season while Kevin Durant missed his eighth straight game with a left hamstring strain - he won't return until after the All-Star break.

DeMar DeRozan led San Antonio with 22 points and 11 assists, Murray and Lonnie Walker IV scored 19 each, Jakob Poeltl and Patty Mills hit for 14 apiece and Trey Lyles scored 10. Poeltl had 12 rebounds to pace the Spurs.

  • Utah Jazz 124-129 New Orleans Pelicans

Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram scored 26 points each as the host New Orleans Pelicans held on to defeat the league-leading Utah Jazz 129-124 on Monday night.

Lonzo Ball added 23 points, JJ Redick had 17, Josh Hart 13 and Eric Bledsoe 11 as the Pelicans inflicted a third defeat in their last six games on the Jazz, who had won 20 of their previous 21.

New Orleans had a 53-39 rebounding advantage, led by Steven Adams' 11 boards in addition to Williamson and Ingram's 26-point hauls.

Bojan Bogdanovic scored 31 points, Rudy Gobert had 22, Donovan Mitchell added 21, Jordan Clarkson had 20 and Mike Conley 10 to lead the Jazz, who are now 1-2 on a four-game road trip that ends on Wednesday in Philadelphia.

The Jazz, who led by five points at half-time, cut a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit to one late in the fourth quarter, but couldn't pull even.

Williamson's 10 point burst pulled New Orleans even at 73 midway through the third quarter and the score was tied three more times before Redick's 3-pointer gave the Pelicans an 82-79 lead.

A 10-0 run for the Pelicans kept the Jazz scoreless for nearly three minutes and that run proved decisive as despite getting within one with 47 seconds left, New Orleans held on as the Jazz missed a couple of chances to lead.

Conley's missed jumper allowing Hart to break free for a dunk that sealed the win.

  • Dallas Mavericks 130-124 Orlando Magic

Luka Doncic flirted with a triple-double, posting 33 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, Jalen Brunson scored 24 points off the bench as the Dallas Mavericks weathered a late surge to beat the Orlando Magic 130-124 in Florida.

The Mavericks led by 18 points with fewer than five minutes to go, but Orlando powered back behind Nikola Vucevic.

The centre scored 10 of his team-high 29 points over the final 4mins and six seconds. Terrence Ross, who scored 18 points off the bench, made a 3-pointer in the final minute that pulled Orlando within five points.

However, Dallas' lead proved insurmountable - as did Doncic.

His step-back 3-pointer in response to a Vucevic field goal from long range with 1:16 remaining stemmed the tide of a 13-3 run, pushing the Mavericks' advantage back to double-digits in the final minute.

Doncic led six Mavericks scoring in double figures. Kristaps Porzingis added a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds, Maxi Kleber scored 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the floor, Josh Richardson scored 11 points and Trey Burke added another 11 off the bench.

Orlando, which shot 20-of-41 from 3-point range, got 26 points from Evan Fournier and 18 from Michael Carter-Williams. Carter-Williams scored in the final minute and made a steal that gave the Magic an opportunity to cut the deficit to two points with 11 seconds remaining.

Ross' 3-point attempt, however, rimmed off and Dallas were able to pick up a fourth win in their last five games, moved above .500 for the first time since January 22.

  • Denver Nuggets 118-112 Chicago Bulls

Nikola Jokic scored 17 of his 39 points in the fourth quarter to fuel the visiting Denver Nuggets to a 118-112 victory over the Chicago Bulls.

Jokic also had 14 rebounds and nine assists to fall just shy of his ninth triple-double of the season and second in as many games. He had 19 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds in Denver's 126-96 romp over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday.

Jamal Murray had 24 points and Michael Porter Jr. added 17 points and 15 rebounds for the Nuggets, who have won four of their last six games overall.

Denver have also turned around their recent fortunes on the road. The Nuggets had lost six of their last seven away from home before winning the first two contests of their five-game road trip.

Zach LaVine had 23 points and Coby White collected 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Bulls, who have lost back-to-back contests.

Chicago scored the first eight points of the fourth quarter to take a 95-89 lead. However, Jokic singlehandedly kept Denver within touching distance and scored 15 of his team's first 20 points in the quarter to give Denver a 109-108 advantage before Murray sank a 3-pointer on the Nuggets' next possession.

Thaddeus Young made a short jumper to trim the deficit to 112-110 before Jokic countered with one of his own. LaVine and Will Barton traded free throws before Murray sealed victory.

  • Cleveland Cavaliers 101-90 Houston Rockets

Collin Sexton scored 39 points, handed out eight assists and sparked a critical fourth-quarter run to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 101-90 win over in Houston.

It means the Rockets have now lost their last 12 games, their longest losing streak since a 15-game run in 2001-02, while Cleveland had now won each of their last four, including two against a misfiring Rockets outfit.

Sexton was the ignition for a 13-0 spurt in the final period, with the surge following a Ben McLemore 3-pointer that gave the Rockets a 78-77 lead.

Cedi Osman sank a 3-pointer, then Sexton scored a layup, drilled a 3-pointer and assisted on a JaVale McGee dunk before feeding Osman to cap the rally.

After Houston's John Wall, who at that point had just two second-half points following a 23-point first half, helped the Rockets rally with three consecutive baskets, Sexton buried a 12-footer that pushed the lead to 97-89.

Wall, who played in both games of a back-to-back for the first time this season, finished with a season-high 32 points, Victor Oladipo added 20 points for Houston who lost Danuel House Jr. to a knee contusion and opened the second half with just three players available on the bench.

Cleveland's Darius Garland added 14 points while Jarrett Allen had his eighth consecutive double-double with 10 points and 15 rebounds. Osman (11 points) and McGee (10) contributed off the Cleveland bench.

  • Charlotte Hornets 111-123 Portland Trail Blazers

Carmelo Anthony established season highs of 29 points, six 3-pointers and five steals and the Portland Trail Blazers halted a season-worst, four-game losing streak with a 123-111 victory over the visiting Charlotte Hornets.

Damian Lillard also had six 3-pointers and recorded 23 points and 10 assists for the Trail Blazers, who set a franchise record with 24 3-pointers (on 46 attempts).

Robert Covington scored a season-best 21 points, matched his season-high of five 3-pointers and collected 10 rebounds.

Gary Trent Jr. added 17 points, Enes Kanter registered 11 points and 11 rebounds and Nassir Little tallied 11 points for Portland, who beat the Hornets for the seventh straight time. The Trail Blazers also notched their 13th consecutive home triumph against Charlotte.

LaMelo Ball had 30 points, eight assists, six rebounds and four steals for the Hornets, who dropped to 2-3 on a six-game road trip.

Terry Rozier scored 20 points, Malik Monk added 19 and Caleb Martin had 11. Charlotte's P.J. Washington had just three points on 1-of-8 shooting, one night after scoring a career-high 42 points in a comeback victory over the Sacramento Kings.

  • Indiana Pacers 114-130 Philadelphia 76ers

Philadelphia 76ers cruised past the Indiana Pacers 130-114 with Shake Milton scoring 26 points off the bench in addition to Joel Embiid's 24 point and 13 rebounds haul.

Furkan Korkmaz hit six 3-pointers and added 19, Ben Simmons contributed 18 and Mike Scott had 11 for the Sixers, who rebounded after a three-point overtime loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday.

The Sixers won without Tobias Harris, who remained out with a right knee contusion.

Malcolm Brogdon led the Pacers with 20 points while Edmond Sumner added 18. Domantas Sabonis contributed 15 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for Indiana who have now lost four games in a row.

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