HOUSTON (AP) - Dwight Howard had 22 points and 16 rebounds, James Harden added 21 points and the Houston Rockets held LeBron James in check Tuesday night in a 106-103 win over the Miami Heat.
James had 22 points, one night after setting a club record with a career-best 61 against Charlotte. He acknowledged before the game that he was “extremely tired” and that he spent most of the day sleeping.
He had 19 points by halftime, but appeared to drag at times in the second half and spent the first half of the fourth quarter on the bench.
Still, the Heat cut their deficit to three when Michael Beasley hit a 3-pointer with 21.2 seconds left. Harden threw the ball away after that, and Howard accidentally hit James in the face when they both went up to try to grab a long pass.
James lay on the court holding his broken nose for a few seconds before getting up and slowly walking to the bench. He remained in the game after a timeout, but missed a desperation 3-point attempt at the buzzer that would have tied it.
The four-time MVP has been wearing a protective mask to protect his broken nose.
Dwyane Wade had 24 points for the Heat after sitting out Monday night. Beasley also scored 24.
WARRIORS 98, PACERS 96
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Klay Thompson made a 12-foot turnaround jumper with 0.6 seconds left, and Golden State held off Indiana to hand the Pacers only their fourth home loss this season.
Thompson scored 16 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter. Stephen Curry finished with 19 points for the Warriors, who have won five of six. It was their first win at Indiana in seven years.
David West led the Pacers with 27 points and Paul George added 26 as Indiana’s five-game winning streak ended.
The Warriors were in control most of the night and led 92-79 with 6:23 to play. But the Pacers tied it at 94 with a 12-0 run. After Thompson put Golden State ahead again, George’s long 3-pointer at the buzzer was short. George fell into the scorers’ table, but no foul was called and the Pacers didn’t complain.
THUNDER 125, 76ERS 92
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Russell Westbrook had a triple-double in 21 minutes and Kevin Durant scored 42 points to help Oklahoma City defeat woeful Philadelphia for its third straight win.
Westbrook wrapped up his eighth career triple-double on a rebound with 4:55 left in the third quarter. He left the game moments later and did not return. He finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists.
Serge Ibaka and Reggie Jackson each scored 14 points and Perry Jones added 12 for the Thunder, who shot 57 percent from the field in their most lopsided victory of the season.
James Anderson scored 20 for the 76ers, who lost their 15th in a row, their longest slide since a 15-game skid in 1994. Philadelphia shot just 34 percent.
Durant, who made 14 of 20 shots from the floor, did not play in the fourth quarter.
SPURS 122, CAVALIERS 101
CLEVELAND (AP) - Danny Green scored 24 points and San Antonio turned to its 3-point shooting to shake off a sluggish start in a victory over Cleveland.
Kawhi Leonard added 18 points, and Patty Mills and Boris Diaw had 16 apiece as the Spurs won their fourth straight. They did it with stars Tim Duncan and Tony Parker combining for just 14 points.
San Antonio, chasing Oklahoma City for the best record in the Western Conference, made 14 of 33 3-pointers. The Spurs trailed by 12 early in the second before making six straight 3s.
Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters scored 24 each for the Cavs, who have lost nine straight to the Spurs. Spencer Hawes added 20 points and 13 rebounds for Cleveland.
CLIPPERS 104, SUNS 96
PHOENIX (AP) - Matt Barnes scored 18 of his season-high 28 points in the third quarter and Los Angeles beat Phoenix for its fifth victory in a row.
Barnes made 12 of his first 13 shots, scoring 16 points in the first 5:09 of the third quarter. Blake Griffin added 22 points and Darren Collison had 18 for Los Angeles.
DeAndre Jordan had 10 points and 17 rebounds and blocked Goran Dragic’s layup try with the Suns still in it with 41 seconds to go.
P.J. Tucker scored 18 and Gerald Green 17 on 6-of-19 shooting for the Suns, who played without center Miles Plumlee (right knee sprain). They also lost guard Leandro Barbosa to a broken left hand in the first half.
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