Timberwolves hound Rockets

Harden ties mark for 30+pts; Warriors snap 5-game streak

Clarkson fires career-high 42

MINNEAPOLIS – Jeff Teague scored 27 points, Karl-Anthony Towns had 25 and the Minnesota Timberwolves overcame James Harden’s 42 points to beat the Houston Rockets 121-111 on Wednesday night.

Harden had his 31st consecutive game with 30 or more points, tying Wilt Chamberlain for the second-longest streak in league history.

The NBA’s leading scorer passed the 30-point mark on his 15th four-point play of the season, getting Josh Okogie in the air with one of his trademark step-back 3s to put Houston up 74-67 midway through the third.

In Portland, Damian Lillard scored 29 points and Portland snapped Golden State’s five-game winning streak with a chippy 129-107 victory that included the late ejection of Warriors coach Steve Kerr.

Jake Layman added 17 points off the bench for the Blazers, who had eight players in double figures. The win snapped a two-game skid.

Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry each had 32 points for the Warriors, who rested DeMarcus Cousins following a victory at home over Utah the night before.

Portland led 110-103 before Golden State’s Draymond Green was called for a flagrant foul on Zach Collins with 3:54 left.

Kerr reacted angrily, throwing his clipboard to court and yelling at the officials before he was ejected.

In Cleveland, Fil-American  Jordan Clarkson scored a career-high 42 points, Collin Sexton had 24 points and Marquese Chriss added 23 but their collective effort failed to bail out Cleveland, which lost to Brooklyn 139-148 in the third overtime.

In Toronto, Pascal Siakam scored a career-high 44 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, OG Anunoby scored a career-best 22 points, and Toronto beat Washington  129-120 for its sixth straight win.

In New York, Joel Embiid had 26 points, 14 rebounds and one flying leap over an award-winning actress into the crowd, and Philadelphia handed New York its 18th straight loss 126-111.

Elsewhere, Jayson Tatum scored 19 points and Gordon Hayward finished with 18 to help host Boston hold off Detroit 118-110.

In other NBA results it was Milwaukee 106, Indiana 97; Chicago 122, Memphis 110; Miami 112, Dallas 101; Denver 120, Sacramento 118; LA Clippers 134, Phoenix 107.