Timberwolves beat Lakers 121-104 for first Christmas win

By DAN GREENSPAN
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Minnesota Timberwolves got their first-ever Christmas victory, and with the way things are coming together, it could be the first of many showcase wins.

Jimmy Butler scored 23 points, Karl-Anthony Towns had 21 points and 10 rebounds and the Timberwolves beat the Los Angeles Lakers 121-104 on Monday night.

"I'm happy to be part of history for the franchise, but this won't be the first and the only one that we ever win," Towns said. "We'll have a lot more opportunities I'm banking on to do this again and again and again."

Former Southern California standout Taj Gibson had 23 points and nine rebounds for the Timberwolves, who have won four straight. Jamal Crawford added 19 points off the bench.

Lakers rookie Kyle Kuzma scored 31 points, joining LeBron James in 2003 as the only first-year players to score at least 30 points on Christmas Day in the last 30 seasons.

Jordan Clarkson had 17 points, seven assists and six rebounds, and Julius Randle had 16 points and seven rebounds for the Lakers, who have lost three in a row and six of seven.

Minnesota pulled away when Towns and Crawford combined to score all 16 points during a 16-1 run after Randle put Los Angeles up 84-83 with 11:14 to play.

The Lakers cut the deficit to 105-99 with 4:30 remaining, but Gibson knocked down a hook shot and 3-pointer on consecutive possessions to restore a double-digit lead.

"He just has a knack of coming up with big plays when you need it the most," Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau said. "What he has brought to the team and what Jimmy has brought to the team has really changed everything for us."

While the Timberwolves have been able to jumpstart their development with the addition of Butler, Gibson and Crawford, the Lakers showed their potential, even without Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball. Ball sprained his left shoulder against Portland on Saturday, and Ingram missed his second straight game with quad injuries.

Kuzma scored 10 of the Lakers' first 14 points, and kept a short-handed bunch in the mix. The Timberwolves led by 10 with 7:42 left in the second quarter, but the Lakers closed the half on a 22-13 run. Kuzma hit a 3 with 1:07 left to give Los Angeles its first lead before Butler hit a spinning layup to put Minnesota in front 53-52 at the break.

"I like what he's about, how he likes to compete," Lakers coach Luke Walton said of Kuzma, who is averaging 30 points during his last five games. "For us and the way we want to play, we want it to come organically to him, so we're not just running plays for him every time."

TIP-INS

Timberwolves: Towns had 18 points in the second half. ... F Nemanja Bjelica had one point and two rebounds in six minutes after missing 15 games with a sprained left foot.

Lakers: Los Angeles missed out on a chance to break a tie with the New York Knicks for most wins on Christmas Day, dropping to 22-22. The Lakers played on Christmas Day for the 19th consecutive season.

LOOK INTO THE FUTURE?

Even without Ingram and Ball, the Lakers' youth invited comparisons to where the Timberwolves were last season. Thibodeau understands why the parallels are being made and expects Los Angeles to be even more of a pest as the season goes on.

"I've watched their Warrior games, they're all hard-fought games," Thibodeau said. "I think the future is bright, and when you have young guys it takes a little bit of time. A big part of learning is the trial and error of going through games."

SPEED IT UP

Despite barbs from analyst Charles Barkley and the TNT crew about their methodical tempo on offense, the Timberwolves scored 38 points in the fourth quarter.

"We pushed the pace. They were really pushing their pace on us early on and we weren't playing with the energy that we needed," Towns said.

UP NEXT

Timberwolves: Host Memphis on Wednesday night.

Lakers: Host Denver on Wednesday night.

Westbrook scores 31, OKC keeps rolling with win over Rockets

By CLIFF BRUNT
Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Oklahoma City is starting to have the look of a contender.

Russell Westbrook had 31 points and 11 assists to help the Thunder stay hot with a 112-107 win over the Houston Rockets on Monday night.

Paul George scored 24 points and Carmelo Anthony added 20 for the Thunder, who won their fifth straight game and their 11th in their past 14. Oklahoma City shot 54.4 percent from the field against the Rockets, who entered the day with the best record in the Western Conference.

The Thunder started 4-7 after acquiring George and Anthony in the offseason, but they've charged back to the center of the West's playoff picture as they've figured out how to distribute the ball among their stars.

"Every night, teams guard us differently," Westbrook said. "Once we figure that out and see how teams are guarding us - find ways to make the game easier for (George and Anthony), and that's my job."

James Harden led the Rockets with 29 points, but he made just 7 of 18 field goals. The league's leading scorer was coming off back-to-back 51-point games.

"Give them credit," Harden said. "They made big-time shots. We had our chances, though. We had several chances, we just couldn't convert and we couldn't get stops when we needed to."

Trevor Ariza and Eric Gordon each scored 20 points and Clint Capela added 19 points and 10 rebounds for Houston, which lost its third straight.

Houston point guard Chris Paul sat out with a groin strain. The Rockets are 15-1 when he plays and 10-6 when he doesn't.

The Thunder held the Rockets below their league-best average of 115.4 points per game. The Rockets made just 12 of 37 3-pointers.

"I thought tonight we made multiple efforts, which we knew we was going to have to do against a fast-paced team like that, a team that likes to move the ball, play fast, put up a lot of shots, put up a lot of 3s," Anthony said. "We knew that we was going to have to scramble tonight, and I thought we did a great job tonight of not getting frustrated when they did make some tough shots, make some 3s."

Westbrook shot 4 for 14 in the first half but made his last two before the break to help the Thunder lead 58-57 at halftime. Harden had 11 points in the first half but made just 1 of 8 shots.

Westbrook broke away for a fast-break dunk to give the Thunder a 65-59 lead early in the third quarter. The Rockets rallied, and the score was tied at 88 heading into the fourth.

Houston had the ball down by three in the final minute. Harden missed a wild 3-pointer while trying but failing to draw a foul, and the Thunder got control in a scramble. Westbrook found Andre Roberson for a layup with 21 seconds left to put the Thunder up 112-107.

Westbrook scored 11 points in just under nine minutes in the fourth quarter.

"I'm coming," he said. "That's what I bring to the table. Once I hit the floor, it's nonstop."

TIP-INS

Rockets: Capela returned to the starting lineup. He had missed the previous two games with a left heel contusion. ... Houston committed just one turnover in the first quarter and 14 overall.

Thunder: Roberson left in the first quarter but returned later in the period with fingers taped together on his left hand. ... C Steven Adams had 12 points and six rebounds in the first quarter and finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds ... George and Anthony had three fouls in the first half. George finished with five and Anthony with four.

QUOTABLE

Anthony played without his shooter arm sleeves early in the game and didn't feel like himself without them.

"That wasn't me out there," he said. "Honestly I don't know who that was out there. I swear, I don't know who that was."

STAT LINES

Westbrook, George and Anthony combined to make 16 of 22 field goals in the second half.

UP NEXT

Rockets: At Boston on Thursday night.

Thunder: Host Toronto on Wednesday night.

Beal's 25 points carries Wizards by Celtics 111-103

By KEN POWTAK
Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) -- Washington's talented guards made themselves at home at Boston's Christmas party.

Bradley Beal scored 25 points, John Wall had 21 points and 14 assists, and the Wizards beat Boston 111-103 on Monday in the Celtics' first Christmas Day home game in franchise history.

"For us to get a win, that was big time," Wall said. "Playing against a great team, one of the hottest teams in the league. They've been in a slump lately, but it's a team that we know we might have to battle later on, and to get a win it was great."

Otto Porter Jr. added 20 points and Kelly Oubre Jr. finished with 16, helping Washington take the first meeting between the teams since Boston's Game 7 victory at home in the second round of the playoffs last spring.

"I felt a little nostalgic out there," Oubre said. "It brought me back to the playoffs and all the good memories that we have in here. The fans chanting crazy stuff, it just brought me back to a place where you know it got me locked in man, like it was the playoffs, so it was a great atmosphere out there."

Boston lost for the third time in four games. Kyrie Irving and Jayson Tatum each scored 20 points for the Celtics, and Terry Rozier had 16.

The Celtics are 11-8 since opening the season 16-2.

"It hasn't been one of the best stretches for us, but we have a resilient group," Irving said. "That right there is enough for us to go on and make progress in the right direction."

Boston forward Al Horford thinks it's just a normal course of a season.

"You go through ups and downs in a season," he said. "Tonight, I felt good about our chances. We put ourselves in position to win the game and we weren't able to do it."

Boston opened a 95-90 lead on Irving's 3-pointer with 6:18 left, but the Wizards responded with a 12-0 run. Beal capped the spurt with a three-point play and a breakaway dunk off a turnover.

Wall added a layup and two free throws down the stretch to help Washington hold on

Last season, the teams had a testy rivalry with lots of trash-talking and a few games filled with hard fouls. It was more civil on Monday, just a tight defensive game with numerous contested shots and a few hard screens.

The Wizards led by two at halftime and opened the third quarter by scoring 13 of the first 17 points, pulling ahead 65-54 on Marcin Gortat's three-point play. Gortat had 11 points and 10 rebounds.

TIP-INS

Wizards: It was Gortat's ninth double-double this season. ... Wall was scoreless in the opening quarter.

Celtics: F Marcus Morris returned after missing 10 of the last 11 games with a sore left knee. ... Reserve F Semi Ojeleye missed the game with a sore back after he tested it during pregame warmups. . Jaylen Brown left the arena with one crutch and appeared to favoring his left leg.

FIRST NOEL

The Celtics played for the 31st time on Christmas, with 28 of the previous games on the road and the other two at neutral sites before Monday.

"As much fun as it is to be with family, this is what our family does," Boston coach Brad Stevens said. "We've been in gyms for most Christmases of our lives, so it's really fun to get a chance to compete on Christmas Day."

GRONK SIGHTING

Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski was seated courtside wearing a Santa hat. He got a huge ovation when he was shown on the videoboard.

FAMILY TIME

Morris brothers Marcus (Boston) and Markieff (Wizards) were matched up against each other a few times. At one point, it looked as if they were both smiling when Marcus missed a jumper over his brother.

WARM WELCOMING

Injured forward Gordon Hayward walked out to center court before the game and wished the fans a merry Christmas and happy holidays on behalf of the Celtics' organization.

UP NEXT

Wizards: At the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday.

Celtics: At the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday. Boston won the previous game between the teams on Nov. 10 at home.

Durant delivers on both ends, Warriors beat Cavaliers 99-92

By JANIE McCAULEY
Associated Press

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) LeBron James drove to the basket in the waning seconds and Kevin Durant swatted away any chance Cleveland had at a Christmas Day comeback.

Durant pumped his fist again and again, emphatically shook his head and pounded his chest in delight. It looked a lot like the dominant Durant from the NBA Finals six months ago.

Klay Thompson hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:33 left, Durant delivered on both ends of the floor, and the Golden State Warriors beat the Cavaliers 99-92 on Monday in a festive holiday rematch of the past three Finals.

"There's just so much joy in the arena today because it's Christmas and we all feed off of that," Durant said.

Durant's block against a driving James with 24.5 seconds left went out of bounds off James, who said he thought he was fouled on the play. Durant finished with 25 points, seven rebounds and five blocked shots.

"He's one of the leaders in shot blocks a game and obviously he had five tonight, so he's been doing a heck of a job of first of all taking the individual matchup and protecting the rim, too," James said.

Kevin Love had 31 points and a season-best 18 rebounds, while James contributed 20 points, six rebounds and six assists in a rivalry missing one key piece: Warriors star Stephen Curry, who missed his eighth straight game with a sprained right ankle.

Thompson scored 24 points and Draymond Green had a triple-double with 12 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. It was Golden State's 12th win in 13 games after its 11-game winning streak was snapped by Denver on Saturday night.

Warriors rookie Jordan Bell traveled with 2:13 left and James tied it. Bell made up for that mistake with a key offensive rebound and pass to Thompson for his fourth 3.

James' 3-pointer with 10:39 left pulled Cleveland within one, but Green answered with a 3 and Andre Iguodala scored two of his nine points the next time down. In another key sequence, Durant blocked Tristan Thompson's shot with 6:23 to go and dunked moments later.

No surprise, the up-tempo, running rivals provided high entertainment once again. The Warriors last June captured a second championship in three years against James and the Cavaliers.

"I forgot all about it," Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said with a chuckle.

The teams will see each other again soon, playing Jan. 15 in Cleveland.

KD requested James for his defensive assignment, to which he explained simply, "I just like guarding my position."

The Cavs, having won six of seven and playing for the first time since Thursday, had their run of scoring at least 100 points end at 26 games.

The Warriors were at nearly full strength again aside from Curry, who could return this week once he goes through some scrimmages at practice.

Center Zaza Pachulia was available but didn't play after sitting out seven consecutive games, while Shaun Livingston came back after missing four games with a sore right knee.

Bell - who addressed the sellout crowd at midcourt moments before tipoff - started at center and had eight points and six rebounds.

SHOOTING WOES

The Cavs' 31.8-percent shooting was the lowest by a Warriors opponent in nearly four years, since Charlotte shot 31.2 percent from the field on Feb. 4, 2014.

"We just didn't make shots," Lue said.

A REAL RIVALRY

Sure, this one felt a little strange without Curry or Kyrie Irving, now in Boston.

"Golden State-Cavaliers, that's a big game, no matter who's playing, who's out," Lue said.

"It will be weird, without Steph, without Ky, especially the battles we've had over the last three years. So both teams look different."

Warriors coach Steve Kerr knows just the uniforms are enough to get everybody going - and this marked the third straight Christmas matchup between the franchises, alternating home floors based on who won the title.

"It's always great to play the Cavs, they're an awesome team," Kerr said. "LeBron is so amazing and it's so fun to feel the energy in the building when the two teams get together. Neither team will look the same as we will even a month from now because Steph and Isaiah Thomas both should be back, hopefully they'll both be back. ... But it doesn't even matter sometimes, just the two uniforms in the same building gets people going."

TIP-INS

Cavaliers: Lue isn't yet ready to guess when Thomas will return following his right hip injury. "He is progressing very well," Lue said. "The most important thing is that he is getting to practice and playing 5-on-5 and having a chance to experience feeling well after it and not having soreness." ... Cleveland is 19-3 since Nov. 11, including 8-3 on the road.

Warriors: Durant averaged 32 points over his seven previous Christmas Day games. ... Golden State played its fifth consecutive Christmas game and seventh in eight. ... The Warriors were 10 of 37 on 3s after they went a dismal 3 for 27 from 3-point range in losing to the Nuggets. ... Kerr began his pregame session by thanking all of the arena staff and Golden State employees for their service and for working on the holiday. ... Thompson's holiday sneakers might have stood out most: neon green on the left foot, neon pink on the right.

UP NEXT

Cavaliers: Visit Kings on Wednesday as they play the middle contest of a three-game West trip.

Warriors: Host Utah on Wednesday.

Embiid, Redick help 76ers beat Knicks, end 5-game skid

By BRIAN MAHONEY
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) Joel Embiid has endured too much misery in the NBA to miss one of the fun days on the schedule.

So as soon as he knew his back felt up to it, he couldn't wait to get on the court for his first Christmas Day game.

Embiid had 25 points and 16 rebounds, JJ Redick scored 24 points, and the Philadelphia 76ers snapped a five-game losing streak with a 105-98 victory over the New York Knicks on Monday.

"Especially after what we've been through the past four years, I was so excited to play tonight because we've been through so much losing," Embiid said. "And to be able to be one of the few teams in our league that can play on this day, it just shows you how much we've improved."

Neither Embiid nor Redick was cleared to play until going through pregame warmups, and their presence gave the 76ers just enough to win their first Christmas Day appearance since 2001.

Embiid, who has been battling a bad back, powered through a big-man duel with Enes Kanter, who had a season-high 31 points and tied a career best with 22 rebounds. He joined Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell and Bob Lanier as the only players with a 30-20 game on Christmas, according to research provided to the Knicks by Elias.

"I respect the guy a lot because that guy didn't play three, four years and coming back (at the) level he's playing right now," Kanter said of Embiid. "So it's cool to play against, go against a guy like that."

Redick, who missed the last game with right hamstring tightness, helped the 76ers pull away from an 89-all tie midway through the fourth quarter. He's played in Christmas games before - and made clear again he's not a fan of them - and he thought his young teammates responded well to their first opportunity.

"There's a tendency to try to put on a show instead of just going out and competing, and I think we did a great job of just going out and competing," Redick said.

Kristaps Porzingis scored 22 points for the Knicks, who fell to 22-30 on Christmas with their fifth straight loss on the holiday.

Backup point guard T.J. McConnell had Philadelphia's final eight points of the third quarter, and the 76ers pushed the lead to nine with about 9 minutes left in the game. The Knicks battled back to tied it 89 on Porzingis' three-point play with 5:20 left, but Philadelphia promptly scored the next seven to go up 96-89 on Redick's 3-pointer with 3:34 to play.

Philadelphia's young stars kept the Knicks from getting much closer, with Embiid making a 3-pointer and Ben Simmons stealing Porzingis' pass and dunking it, both times hiking the lead back to eight.

TIP-INS

76ers: Coach Brett Brown called Embiid a "borrowed stud" who they get to "inherit" when he is able to play. "He doesn't practice and he comes in and plays games and we're trying to grow him into a situation where he is a normal part of a team," Brown said. ... The Sixers franchise is 17-13 on Christmas.

Knicks: Hall of Famer Bernard King, who set the Christmas record when he scored 60 points for the Knicks against the Nets in 1984, was at the game. ... New York had won seven straight at home over Philadelphia.

FULTZ UPDATE

No. 1 pick Markelle Fultz, who has missed two months with right shoulder soreness, is on the trip with the 76ers. Brown said the purpose of having the guard from Washington with the team was "to make sure that he understands completely he is a significant part of our future and that we are with him unconditionally."

"We will help move him forward in a timeline that's responsible and I just like having him with his extended family, his teammates, with me, with us," Brown added. "Those types of things."

WHAT COULD'VE BEEN

Porzingis could've been playing for the 76ers instead of against them Monday. The Knicks took him with the No. 4 pick in 2015, one spot after Philadelphia went with Jahlil Okafor, who eventually fell out of the rotation entirely and was dealt earlier this month to Brooklyn. But Brown declined to look back, saying "next question" when asked if he ever wondered "what if?" when it came to Porzingis.

UP NEXT

76ers: Visit Portland on Thursday.

Knicks: Visit Chicago on Wednesday.

NBA roundup: George gets win in return to Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS -- Paul George was held to 12 points in his return to Indiana, but Steven Adams scored 23 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 100-95 victory over the Pacers on Wednesday night.

George was booed loudly when introduced and every time he touched the ball throughout the game. The four-time All-Star was traded to Oklahoma City in exchange for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis after he told the Pacers he didn't plan to re-sign with the team following the 2017-18 season. George shot 3-of-14 on Wednesday.

Thunder guard Russell Westbrook, despite shooting 3 of 17 from the field, delivered his ninth triple-double of the season with 10 points, 17 rebounds and 12 assists.

Oladipo led the Pacers with 19 points but shot 9 of 26 from the floor. Bojan Bogdanovic added 15 for Indiana, and Thaddeus Young had 11 points, 10 rebounds and seven steals.

ROCKETS 108, HORNETS 96

HOUSTON -- Chris Paul posted a season-high 31 points, Houston seized control with a 25-0 run bridging the first and second quarters to extend their winning streak to 11 games with a victory over Charlotte.

Paul added 11 assists and seven rebounds to his ledger and dominated the game on both ends as Houston extended its winning streak to 11 games and improved to 12-0 with Paul in their lineup. James Harden added 21 points and eight assists while Eric Gordon scored 17 points off the bench for Houston.

Dwight Howard paced the Hornets with 26 points, 18 rebounds and three blocks. Kidd-Gilchrist added 18 points and 11 boards while Kemba Walker was held to 13 points.

WIZARDS 93, GRIZZLIES 87

WASHINGTON -- Bradley Beal scored 18 points and John Wall had 13 in his return from a left knee injury as Washington fended off struggling Memphis.

Wall sat out the previous nine games after receiving injections in his knee Nov. 25 to deal with inflammation. The Wizards went 4-5 without the four-time All-Star.

Andrew Harrison scored 20 points for the Grizzlies, who shot 38.3 percent and lost for the 16th time in 17 games. JaMychal Green totaled 15 and 15 rebounds while Marc Gasol finished with 15 and 10.

CELTICS 124, NUGGETS 118

BOSTON -- Kyrie Irving returned from a one-game absence caused by a quad bruise and scored 33 points as Boston beat Denver.

Jaylen Brown added 26 points and Aron Baynes had 17 as the Celtics overcame a career-high 36 points by Nuggets guards Gary Harris and 28 by Jamal Murray.

Irving added seven assists, and Boston's Jayson Tatum scored 15 points.

TRAIL BLAZERS 102, HEAT 95

MIAMI -- CJ McCollum scored a game-high 28 points and Damian Lillard came alive late as the Portland rallied from a 16-point, second-half deficit to defeat Miami.

Lillard, who has scored more than 30 points 10 times this season, was held to nine points through three quarters. However, he finished with 18 points to help the Trail Blazers snap a season-worst, five-game losing streak.

The Heat were led by reserve guard Wayne Ellington, who had 24 points.

PELICANS 115, BUCKS 108

NEW ORLEANS -- DeMarcus Cousins scored a team-high 26 points, including a 3-pointer from the left wing with 22 seconds left, and Anthony Davis added 25 points to power New Orleans to a victory over Milwaukee.

The Pelicans trailed 94-87 early in the fourth quarter but outscored the Bucks 28-14 in the final 10 minutes. Cousins added 13 rebounds, and Davis had 10 boards. E'Twaun Moore scored 21 points for New Orleans.

Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with a game-high 32 points.

BULLS 103, JAZZ 100

CHICAGO -- Nikola Mirotic scored 29 points and grabbed nine rebounds, and Robin Lopez scored 16 as Chicago beat Utah for its fourth straight victory.

The Bulls, who have not lost since snapping a 10-game losing streak last week, had all five starters reach double figures. Denzel Valentine and Kris Dunn each added 13 points for Chicago, which also got 12 points from Justin Holiday.

Rookie Donovan Mitchell scored a game-high 32 points to pace the Jazz, who dropped their fourth straight and fell to 2-10 on the road.

CLIPPERS 106, MAGIC 95

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Reserve Lou Williams scored 31 points, and Los Angeles beat Orlando.

DeAndre Jordan dominated around the basket with 16 points and 20 rebounds. Sam Dekker had 12 points for the Clippers, who won their third straight.

Jonathon Simmons led the Magic with 20 points and eight assists. Nikola Vucevic had 14 points and 12 rebounds, and Elfrid Payton scored 13 points. Mario Hezonja, in his second start of the season, managed 17 points and nine rebounds.

RAPTORS 115, SUNS 109

PHOENIX -- DeMar DeRozan scored 18 of his 37 points in the third quarter, and Toronto wrapped up a 3-1 Western Conference road trip with a win over Phoenix.

The Raptors, who got 21 points and 13 rebounds from Serge Ibaka and 20 points and 11 rebounds from Jonas Valanciunas, followed up wins over the Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings by sweeping the season series from the Suns for only the fourth time in team history.

Troy Daniels had a career-high 32 points including seven 3-pointers for Phoenix. The Suns lost their fifth in a row and fell to 0-4 since losing star Devin Booker to an adductor injury.

Paul, Rockets run past Hornets

HOUSTON -- Earlier in the week, Houston Rockets guard James Harden insisted that backcourt mate Chris Paul assert himself offensively. On Wednesday night, Paul required no such prodding.

Paul ran roughshod with the second unit, and Houston parlayed a run bridging the first and second quarters into a 108-96 victory over the Charlotte Hornets at Toyota Center.

Houston (22-4) extended its winning streak to 11 games as Paul posted a season-high 31 points plus seven rebounds and 11 assists. He finished 5 of 9 on 3-point attempts and 10 of 16 overall, and he was the linchpin of a group that reeled off a 25-0 run to blow the game open.

"I sort of control the pace with that group," Paul said of being paired with the reserves upon re-entering the game late in the first period. "Early in the game, it's both me and James, and we both pick our spots. With that second unit, I dictate the tempo. I just take whatever is there."

Harden added 21 points and eight assists while Eric Gordon scored 17 points off the bench for Houston. The Rockets struggled catching a rhythm before Paul and the bench wrangled control late in the first quarter, turning a 21-18 deficit into a 26-point cushion with a relentless surge.

While Charlotte (10-17) managed just one field goal between a Michael Kidd-Gilchrist dunk at the 3:40 mark of the first quarter and a Kemba Walker pull-up jumper with 8:07 left in the first half, Houston scored 32 points during that stretch, including seven 3-pointers plus a three-point play.

The Rockets' 25-0 run started with a P.J. Tucker jumper with 2:07 left in the first and concluded when Gordon hit the Rockets' third consecutive trey at the 9:52 mark of the second. Paul scored 10 successive points at one point and later sank a 3-pointer before Gordon capped the rally.

"He was extremely aggressive," Harden said of Paul. "We just kind of rode that wave throughout the entire game.

"He's been having to play-make and get his teammates involved for the last several years. Now he doesn't have to do that consistently. He can go out there and get in his bag and shoot threes and show how his handles are crazy."

The Hornets were undone by their bench in the first half. As Houston stretched its lead, Charlotte's reserves totaled two points on 1-for-9 shooting. The Hornets' starters re-entered and managed to cut the deficit to 12 points, but that working deficit proved too large to overcome.

At the half, Charlotte reserve guard Jeremy Lamb and backup forward Frank Kaminsky were a minus-30 and minus-31, respectively, in plus-minus. Lamb finished at minus-32; Kaminsky was minus-38.

"We depend on them and we will continue to depend on those guys," Hornets associate head coach Stephen Silas said of the bench unit. "It was just one of those runs that's disappointing, but we've got to learn from it and move on."

Charlotte's Dwight Howard recorded a season-high-tying 26 points plus 18 rebounds and three blocks against one of his former teams. Kidd-Gilchrist chipped in 18 points and 11 rebounds while Walker added 13 points but on 5-for-15 shooting. Charlotte missed 17 of 21 3-point attempts.

Houston, conversely, was 16 of 35 on 3-pointers before going cold during garbage time in the fourth.

"That's their strength. That's where they're putting a lot of pressure on the league," Hornets forward Marvin Williams said. "They have guys that can shoot from all over the floor, and not just 3-pointers but 2, 3 feet behind the line. And they shoot so many of them.

"They have two great playmakers in James Harden and Chris Paul. They put a ton of pressure on your defense because they do have shooting everywhere."

NOTES: Hornets F Nicolas Batum missed the previous game with a left elbow injury but returned to the starting lineup and finished with nine points and nine rebounds. ... An added benefit to the Rockets' acquisition of G Chris Paul is the lessened workload on G James Harden. Entering Wednesday, Harden was averaging 35.9 minutes per game, his lowest in his six seasons with Houston. He played just 31 minutes against Charlotte. Harden led the NBA in total minutes in 2014-15 (2,981) and 2015-16 (3,125). ... Rockets F Luc Mbah a Moute dislocated his right shoulder after taking an awkward fall following a dunk late in the second quarter. Mbah a Moute is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Thursday morning, with the subsequent results to determine how long he will be sidelined.