March 29, 2024

NBA Capsules

HOUSTON (AP) — Kevin Durant scored 36 points and Reggie Jackson added 23 to lift the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 104-92 win over the Houston Rockets on Thursday night.

The Thunder used a big third quarter to erase a 12-point deficit and tie the score entering the fourth. The teams stayed within a basket after that until Jackson scored five points in a 7-0 run which gave the Thunder a 97-89 lead with about 4 minutes left.

Oklahoma City scored four quick points capped by a fast break dunk by Jackson a couple minutes later to stretch the lead to 103-92.

James Harden and Terrence Jones scored 16 points each for Houston, which scored just 19 second-half points after posting a season-high 73 points in the first half — setting an NBA record for the largest scoring differential between two halves.

Nets 127, Hawks 110

LONDON (AP) — Joe Johnson scored 26 of his 29 points in the first half and Andray Blatche added 20 points and 14 rebounds to lead Brooklyn past Atlanta in the fourth regular-season NBA game played in the British capital.

Johnson had 15 points in the first quarter, including 11 straight for the Nets (16-22) late in the period.

Mike Scott and Shelvin Mack, both coming off the bench, led the Hawks with 17 points each.

Both teams finished with five players scoring n double digits.

The Nets were playing a regular-season game at the O2 Arena in London for the third time. They played two against the Toronto Raptors in 2011, winning both.

Pacers 117, Knicks 89

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Lance Stephenson scored a career-high 28 points, Paul George added 25, and Indiana won its ninth straight at home.

The Pacers have won three in a row overall and still have the NBA’s best record and the league’s top home record (20-1). Indiana leads idle Miami by four games in the chase for the Eastern Conference’s top seed.

Carmelo Anthony had 18 of his 28 points in the first quarter to lead New York. J.R. Smith, who was benched in two of the previous four games, played 28 minutes and scored 12 points. The Knicks have lost two straight after winning five in a row.

Indiana took control with an 11-1 run midway through the second quarter, then closed the first half on a 16-7 run to make it 63-48.

New York never challenged again.