(The Sports Xchange) — Ryan Anderson scored 17 of his game-high 22 points in the first half and guard Tyreke Evans added 21 points to spark the New Orleans Pelicans to a 111-83 points rout of the Houston Rockets on Friday.
After the Pelicans (17-16) took a 65-42 third-quarter lead, Houston coach Kevin McHale waved the white flag by subbing out his entire starting lineup.
James Harden, the NBA’s leading scorer, finished with just 11 points in 25 minutes. The Rockets (22-10) saved their legs to face Miami in Houston last night.
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Thunder 109, Wizards 102
Kevin Durant posted 34 points and eight rebounds to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a victory over the Washington Wizards.
The win pushed the Thunder to 17-17 as they reached .500 for the first time this season. The Wizards dropped to 22-10 and have now lost two straight on their west coast swing.
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Mavericks 119, Celtics 101
Rajon Rondo made a triumphant return to TD Garden, scoring the first 10 points for his new team and leading the Dallas Mavericks to a victory over the Boston Celtics.
Rondo, traded recently by the Celtics to the Mavs, was given a huge ovation in pre-game introductions and a video tribute as he went on to finish with a season-high 29 points.
Monta Ellis scored 22 points for the Mavericks (24-10).
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Cavaliers 91, Hornets 87
Kevin Love scored 27 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers snapped a three-game losing streak with their first win since LeBron James was shelved, beating the Charlotte Hornets.
The Cavs (19-14) trailed by 11 points in a cold-shooting first half but took the lead midway through the third quarter and went on to lead by as many as 11 in the fourth quarter.
James is resting a knee injury. The Hornets (10-24) have now lost five straight.
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Hawks 98, Jazz 92
Jeff Teague scored 25 points and Paul Millsap added 15 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Atlanta Hawks to a victory over the Utah Jazz.
Al Horford added 13 points to help the Hawks (24-8) win their sixth consecutive game over a Western Conference opponent.
