HOUSTON -- Jalen Green scored a season-high 37 points as the Houston Rockets built a big lead early and cruised to a 135-119 win over the Washington Wizards on Thursday night.
Fred VanVleet added 27 points for the Rockets, who won their fourth straight game.
All of Houston's starters scored in double figures in the second game since Alperen Sengun injured his knee and ankle Sunday. The Rockets outrebounded Washington 46-32 despite being without the star big man.
Jordan Poole scored 25 points off the bench for the Wizards, who dropped their second game in a row after winning their previous two. Deni Avdija added 24 points and Kyle Kuzma had 23 for Washington.
The Rockets led by as many as 24 points and were up by 15 points to open the fourth quarter.
A 6-0 run by the Wizards, with four points from Avdija, cut Houston's lead to 112-101 early in the fourth. But the Rockets recovered and pushed their advantage to 121-105 midway through the quarter, powered by two 3-pointers from Green.
Washington trailed by 13 later in the fourth before Houston scored the next eight points, with four from rookie Amen Thompson, to make it 133-112 with about two minutes left.
The Rockets were up by 22 with about four minutes left in the third quarter before Washington cut the lead to 110-95 entering the fourth. Poole made three 3-pointers in that stretch for the Wizards.
UP NEXT
Wizards: Visit Chicago Saturday night.
Rockets: Host Cleveland Saturday.
CELTICS 127, SUNS 112
BOSTON -- Jaylen Brown scored 37 points, Jayson Tatum added 26 and the Boston Celtics powered past the Phoenix Suns, 127-112, on Thursday night.
Al Horford finished with 24 points, including six of Boston's season high-tying 25 3-pointers to help the Celtics down the Suns for the second time in week. Boston improved to an NBA-best 52-14.
Devin Booker led the Suns with 23 points. Bradley Beal finished with 22 points and seven assists. Kevin Durant and Grayson Allen both added 20 points.
Last week, the Celtics overpowered a Suns team playing without Booker (ankle) during a double-digit win in Phoenix, despite a 45-point night by Durant.
Durant came out hot again in Thursday's rematch. But Booker started slowly before finishing 9 of 20 from the field. Meanwhile, the All-Star duo of Tatum and Brown combined for 43 of the Celtics' 65 first-half points.
Tatum was in attack mode for most of the opening 24 minutes, leading a Celtics flurry just before halftime by scoring seven of his team's final 10 points. That included back-to-back 3s over Durant that sent roars throughout the home crowd. He also was one of the primary defenders on Durant, limiting him to only five points over the final three quarters.
Tatum and Durant dueled early, trading baskets in the opening period, with each showing off multiple ways to break down the opposing defense. Durant had 15 first-quarter points, connecting on 7 of 8 shots. Tatum poured in 13 points, going 6 for 9 from the field.
It all helped offset Phoenix's 27-13 rebounding edge in the first half.
UP NEXT
Suns: At Hornets on Friday.
Celtics: At Wizards on Sunday.
BUCKS 114, 76ERS 105
MILWAUKEE -- Giannis Antetokounmpo had 32 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Milwaukee Bucks past the Philadelphia 76ers, 114-105, on Thursday night.
Brook Lopez added 19 points and seven rebounds and Damian Lillard had 17 points and seven assists for the Bucks, who won at home after losing three of four on a West Coast swing, which included a 129-94 drubbing against the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday.
Tyrese Maxey scored 30 points for the 76ers, who closed out a 1-2 road trip. Tobias Harris added 15 points and Cam Payne had 13.
The Bucks, who trailed 83-80 at the start of the fourth quarter, moved ahead 88-87 on a layup by Bobby Portis with 8:42 left and didn't relinquish the lead.
The Bucks were short-handed as starting guard Malik Beasley and reserve MarJon Beauchamp sat out with back spasms. Khris Middleton missed his 16th consecutive game with a sprained left ankle.
Without standout Joel Embiid, Philadelphia has been struggling to generate offense. The 76ers have lost 13 of 20 without Embiid, who is recovering from a meniscus injury to his left knee. They were held to 79 points in splitting back-to-back games against the New York Knicks on Sunday and Tuesday, and reached that point total on Thursday with two minutes remaining in the third.
Philadelphia came out firing at the start, connecting on 11 of 20 shots, including 5 of 9 from 3-point range in the first quarter, ending with a 10-0 run.
The 76ers led by as many as 12 in the second. Payne, traded by Milwaukee to Philadelphia in February for Patrick Beverley, scored 11 points in the quarter, including three consecutive 3-pointers. Philadelphia led 61-53 at the half on 56% shooting from the field and 58% sniping from long distance. Maxey had 18 first-half points, making 4 of 5 from 3-point range.
The Bucks committed 10 first-half turnovers, leading to 17 points for the Sixers.
UP NEXT
76ers: Host Charlotte on Saturday.
Bucks: Host Phoenix on Sunday.
CLIPPERS 126, BULLS 111
CHICAGO -- Paul George made six 3-pointers and scored 28 points, Kawhi Leonard added 27 and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Chicago Bulls, 126-111, on Thursday night.
Los Angeles regrouped after a 20-point lead late in the third quarter dwindled to eight in the fourth and stopped a two-game skid, beating Chicago for the second time in six days. Both teams were missing key players with the Clippers' James Harden (strained left shoulder) and the Bulls' Coby White (sore right hip) sidelined.
George was 11 of 12 from the field. He made 6 of 7 3s -- one shy of a season high -- and the Clippers were 20 of 40 from beyond the arc.
Leonard, who exited Tuesday's loss to Minnesota because of back spasms, made 12 of 17 shots.
Norman Powell scored 18 points and Bones Hyland added 17 points and 11 assists for the Clippers, who are fourth in the Western Conference.
DeMar DeRozan led Chicago with 21 points after scoring a season-high 46 in Wednesday's overtime win at Indiana. The Bulls have lost three of four.
Nikola Vucevic scored 19 for Chicago. Alex Caruso made five 3s and finished with 17 points after scoring a season-high 23 the previous night, and Andre Drummond scored 15.
The Clippers led 90-70 after Terance Mann's fast-break layup with about 4:30 left in the third quarter. But the Bulls weren't finished.
DeRozan cut it to 98-90 early in the fourth with a finger-roll and 3-pointer. It was a nine-point game midway through the quarter when Hyland made a 3 and Ivica Zubac tipped in a missed 3 by Leonard, and the Clippers remained in control from there.
The Bulls, were breathing a little easier after imaging showed White was not seriously injured, coach Billy Donovan said. He is day to day after Pascal Siakam blocked his layup and landed on him near the end of regulation at Indiana on Wednesday.
UP NEXT
Clippers: Visit New Orleans on Friday.
Bulls: Host Washington on Saturday.
Houston Rockets' Fred VanVleet (5) passes the ball to Amen Thompson (1) as Washington Wizards' Kyle Kuzma (33) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, March 14, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Houston Rockets' Jock Landale (2) loses teh bsll as Washington Wizards' Eugene Omoruyi defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, March 14, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Houston Rockets' Jalen Green, left, loses the ball as Washington Wizards' Bilal Coulibaly (0) and Corey Kispert (24) defend during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, March 14, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Washington Wizards' Eugene Omoruyi (97) goes up for a shot as Houston Rockets' Jabari Smith Jr. (10) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, March 14, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Washington Wizards' Eugene Omoruyi (97) goes up for a shot as Houston Rockets' Jabari Smith Jr. (10) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, March 14, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)