NBA game roundup: Harden, Rockets down Heat

MIAMI — James Harden came within one rebound of a triple-double as the Houston Rockets remained undefeated, defeating the previously perfect Miami Heat 108-91 Tuesday night at AmericanAirlines Arena.

Harden, one of the premier shooting guards in the NBA, had 25 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds.

Center Dwight Howard provided game highs in points (26) and rebounds (10) for Houston. Rockets small forward Trevor Ariza had nine of his 19 points in the fourth quarter. He made five of seven on 3-pointers, including three of four in the fourth quarter, when Houston extended a six-point lead to put Miami away.

Miami was led by forward Chris Bosh (21 points, eight rebounds) and guard Dwyane Wade (19 points).

Raptors 100, Thunder 88

TORONTO — Guard DeMar DeRozan scored 16 points and forward Patrick Patterson added 14 as Toronto defeated Oklahoma City.

Guard Lou Williams and forward Tyler Hansbrough each chipped in with 12 points for the Raptors, while guard Greivis Vasquez had 10.

Thunder forward Serge Ibaka led all scorers with 25 points despite picking up his fifth foul during the fourth quarter. Guard Lance Thomas added 14 points for Oklahoma City.

Bulls 98, Magic 90

CHICAGO — Paced by center Pau Gasol and guard Jimmy Butler, Chicago outlasted Orlando to win a game that was close until the last half of the fourth quarter.

The Bulls had five players finish in double-figure scoring, led by Butler with 21 points. Gasol, with Joakim Noah out due to illness, logged a whopping 40:59 and finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds.

Butler helped patch the hole left in the backcourt by Derrick Rose, who dressed but sat on the bench the entire game because of ankle issues. Butler played 35:02 and pulled down nine rebounds. Forward Taj Gibson added 16 points after taking Noah’s spot in the starting lineup, and guard Aaron Brooks scored 13 points to go with eight assists.

Pelicans 100, Hornets 91

NEW ORLEANS — Forward Anthony Davis scored 12 of his game-high 24 points in the third quarter, grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked three shots to lead New Orleans past Charlotte.

After entering the game tied for last in the NBA in field-goal percentage (39.1 percent), the Pelicans had their best-shooting game of the early season, converting 38 of 81 from the floor (46.9 percent).

Davis made four mid-range jumpers to go along with a one-handed, alley-oop dunk in a 26-17 third quarter, as the Pelicans turned a 48-47 halftime deficit into a 73-65 lead.

Wizards 98, Knicks 83

NEW YORK — Forward Paul Pierce scored 17 points as Washington rode a dominating third quarter to a victory over New York.

Shooting guard Garrett Temple continued to provide a spark for the Wizards in place of injured Bradley Beal by adding 17 points. Backup forward Kevin Seraphin chipped in 15 on 6-of-6 shooting, while reserve guard Andre Miller added 12 for the Wizards.

Guard Iman Shumpert led the Knicks with 19 points. Forward Carmelo Anthony added 18 points, but was 8-of-23 from the floor and committed seven turnovers.

Bucks 87, Pacers 81

INDIANAPOLIS — Milwaukee ended its 16-game road losing streak with a win over Indiana.

Point guard Brandon Knight’s 20-foot jumper with 22.3 seconds remaining extended the Bucks’ lead to five points, and Milwaukee held on to hand the Pacers a third consecutive loss.

Knight finished with a game-best 23 points, and he added seven rebounds. Forward Chris Copeland led Indiana with 19 points, 18 during the final half.