(The Sports Xchange) – Highlights of Wednesday’s National Basketball Association games.
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Rockets 113, Wizards 112
James Harden scored on a driving layup with 0.7 seconds left to lift the Houston Rockets to a 113-112 win over the Washington Wizards.
Houston (36-17) heads into the All-Star Game break riding a seven-game winning streak thanks largely to Harden, who scored 35 points and added six rebounds and six assists.
Houston center Dwight Howard added 24 points and 16 rebounds with three blocked shots.
The Wizards (25-27) erased a 19-point second-half deficit and led 112-110 when guard John Wall (19 points, 14 assists) hit two free throws with four seconds left.
However, Wizards forward Trevor Ariza (32 points, 11 rebounds) fouled Harden before the ball was in play on the ensuring inbounds pass. Harden hit a free throw and Houston retained possession, leading to the winning score.
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Mavericks 81, Pacers 73
Guard Monta Ellis led the Mavericks with 23 points, nine rebounds and six assists, and visiting Dallas posted a win over the Eastern Conference-leading Indiana Pacers.
The Pacers (40-12) suffered a rare home defeat, falling to 25-3 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Mavericks (32-22) levelled their road record at 14-14, bouncing back from a blowout loss to the Bobcats in Charlotte on Tuesday.
Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki finished with 18 points and six rebounds, while four Pacers scored in double figures, led by guard George Hill’s 14 points.
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Spurs 104, Celtics 92
Tim Duncan scored 23 of his 25 points in the second half, including eight straight for his team at one point in the fourth quarter, leading the Spurs to a victory over the Boston Celtics in the final game for each team before the All-Star break.
The veteran big man, who will be 38 in April, led the Spurs in the absence of point guard Tony Parker (rested), injured guard Manu Ginobili and forward Tiago Splitter.
The Celtics, who had won four of their last five coming in, got 16 points from point guard Rajon Rondo, while forward Kris Humphries came off the bench with 15 points and six rebounds.
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Kings 106, Knicks 101 (overtime)
The Sacramento Kings stopped a seven-game road losing streak, turning back the New York Knicks in overtime.
Sacramento (18-35) guard Jimmer Fredette scored a career-high 24 points, hitting six of eight three-pointers. Forward Rudy Gay added 20 points for the Kings.
Carmelo Anthony topped New York (20-32) with 36 points but the Knicks lost for the fifth time in their last six games. They finish the first half of the season in third place in the Atlantic Division.
