After reporting late for the Rockets' preseason camp as news of his desire for a trade dominated headlines and spending a period in quarantine for violating the NBA's health and safety protocols, Harden scored 44 points as Houston got their campaign under way following the postponement of their opening game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The eight-time All-Star had just one preseason game under his belt yet looked anything but rusty during his 43 minutes on the floor for the undermanned Rockets, who had six players missing due to positive COVID-19 tests and contact tracing.
Harden became the first player in NBA history to post at least 40 points with at least 15 assists in their first game of the season.
It was the fourth time Harden has had that line in his NBA career and the 17 assists he finished with tied his career high. The only time he scored more with that many assists was when he combined them with 53 points and 16 rebounds against the New York Knicks in December 2016.
Asked to assess his performance, in which the 2018 MVP shot 12-of-22 from the floor and 6-of-13 from three-point range, Harden said: "It was all right.
"Too many turnovers but other than that… first game playing 40-something minutes I felt my conditioning could've been better obviously, but it was pretty solid. I think we let one get away from us.
"I didn't surprise myself at all. I know what I'm capable of.
"We showed a lot of fight. We came out with a great sense of urgency. You could just tell with it being the first game, basically playing eight players took a toll on us towards the end of the game.
"[We're] hopefully gonna finish this road trip strong, get back home and have our full roster."
Harden's fourth and final turnover of the game came on the last play of overtime, when he drove into the paint and threw the ball away before appearing to get frustrated with P.J. Tucker.
"I was just trying to make a quick decision," Harden explained. "As I got into the paint, they did a pretty good job of using their high hands, but I felt like I think it was P.J. on the block. If he would've crept in, he'd have had a layup.
"It would've been a tough shot to shoot over a couple guys, which I could have, but I'll watch the film and get better at it."
Trae Young fuelled the rallying Hawks to a 120-116 win over Russell Westbrook's Washington Wizards midweek.
Young posted 33 points and John Collins hit the go-ahead three-pointer with 24.4 seconds remaining as the Hawks (39-31) – fourth in the Eastern Conference – clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2017.
The Knicks (38-31), who are sixth in the east, were not in action but they still reached the playoffs thanks to some help from elsewhere.
For the first time since 2012-13, playoff basketball will return to Madison Square Garden after the Boston Celtics were upstaged 102-94 by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Celtics (35-35) were consigned to a play-in berth following a fourth straight defeat.
The play-in tournament will include teams with the seventh through to the 10th-highest winning percentages in each conference, taking place between May 18-21, in pursuit of the playoffs.
Westbrook joins exclusive club
After making history for the most triple-doubles in the NBA on Tuesday, Westbrook was at it again. The Wizards star scored 34 points and dished out 15 assists. He has recorded 15-plus assists in six consecutive games. Westbrook is the fifth player in league history to record 15-plus assists in six or more straight games, joining John Stockton, Isaiah Thomas, Magic Johnson and Kevin Porter.
James Harden returned from an 18-game absence to help the Brooklyn Nets beat the San Antonio Spurs 128-116. Back following a hamstring strain, Harden put up 18 points and 11 assists off the bench in Brooklyn.
Double-doubles from Talen Horton-Tucker (23 points and 10 assists), Andre Drummond (20 points and 10 rebounds) and Kyle Kuzma (19 points and 10 rebounds) helped defending champions the Los Angeles Lakers outlast the lowly Houston Rockets 124-122. The result ensured the Lakers – playing without LeBron James and Anthony Davis – stayed within a game of sixth place in the Western Conference.
Luka Doncic's 33 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in a near-triple-double display inspired the Dallas Mavericks to a 125-107 win at home to the New Orleans Pelicans, staying sixth in the west.
The usual suspects – Damian Lillard (30 points), CJ McCollum (26 points) and Jusuf Nurkic (11 points and 15 rebounds) – starred as the Portland Trail Blazers upstaged the NBA-leading Utah Jazz 105-98.
Jazz lose again
The NBA-leading Jazz suffered another defeat. Usually efficient from three-point range, Utah were just 30 per cent from beyond the arc, making 12 of 40 shots. Bojan Bogdanovic missed all five of his attempts, while he was five-for-14 shooting throughout the clash.
The Pelicans were eliminated from playoff contention after going down to the Mavs.
Durant had 14 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for the Nets but he was far from his best. The former MVP was four-for-10 shooting in 29 minutes, missing all four of his three-point shots.
Kuzma comes up big
With the Lakers trailing 122-121, Kuzma drove to the rim and made the game-winning shot 6.9 seconds from the end in Los Angeles, where the franchise unveiled their 2020 championship banner.
Wednesday's results
Los Angeles Lakers 124-122 Houston Rockets
Atlanta Hawks 120-116 Washington Wizards
Brooklyn Nets 128-116 San Antonio Spurs
Cleveland Cavaliers 102-94 Boston Celtics
Dallas Mavericks 125-107 New Orleans Pelicans
Portland Trail Blazers 105-98 Utah Jazz
76ers at Heat
Eastern Conference leaders the Philadelphia 76ers (47-22) can clinch the number one seed with victory at the Miami Heat (38-31) on Thursday.
Antetokounmpo matched a season-low with 13 points on six-for-18 shooting as the Heat became the first team to beat the Bucks twice this term.
The Bucks superstar, who also collected 15 rebounds, was limited to just six points in the first half in Miami.
Eastern Conference rivals the Heat were led by Jae Crowder and Jimmy Butler's 18 points each, while Bam Adebayo added 14 points and 12 rebounds.
James Harden posted 35 points and eight assists, but the Houston Rockets lost 125-123 away to the lowly New York Knicks.
Russell Westbrook (24), Robert Covington (20, 13 rebounds), Danuel House Jr. (20) and Eric Gordon (11) also had double-digit points for the Rockets in New York.
Rookie guard RJ Barrett tied his season-high with 27 points as the Knicks snapped the Rockets' six-game winning streak.
McCollum inspires Trail Blazers
CJ McCollum put on a show with 41 points as the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Orlando Magic 130-107. Portland outscored Orlando 38-19 in the final quarter. Nikola Vucevic starred for the Magic with 30 points and 11 rebounds.
Collin Sexton had a game-high 32 points in the Cleveland Cavaliers' 126-113 loss at home to the Utah Jazz.
DeRozan struggles
For someone averaging 22.6 points per game this season, Monday's performance was not up to standard for DeMar DeRozan. The San Antonio Spurs star was just four of 10 from the field for 10 points in 38 minutes of action in a 116-111 defeat against the Indiana Pacers.
Fultz fools Blazers
Orlando's Markelle Fultz with the no-look pass against the Trail Blazers.
Monday's results
Utah Jazz 126-113 Cleveland Cavaliers
New York Knicks 125-123 Houston Rockets
Portland Trail Blazers 130-107 Orlando Magic
Memphis Grizzlies 127-88 Atlanta Hawks
Miami Heat 105-89 Milwaukee Bucks
Chicago Bulls 109-107 Dallas Mavericks
Indiana Pacers 116-111 San Antonio Spurs
76ers at Lakers
The Philadelphia 76ers (37-24) will have their hands full away to LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers (46-13) on Tuesday. The 76ers are missing All-Stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, while Josh Richardson has been ruled out with concussion. The 76ers are 9-22 on the road following their loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, while the Western Conference-leading Lakers are 21-7 at Staples Center.
Miami posted a 116-114 victory over the Bucks to go 2-0 up in the Eastern Conference semi-finals on Wednesday.
But it came after a controversial finish in the NBA bubble at Walt Disney World Resort.
With Miami leading 114-111 with less than five seconds to play, Goran Dragic was called for a foul on Khris Middleton, who hit three free-throws.
But, more drama was to follow, Giannis Antetokounmpo ruled to have fouled Jimmy Butler, who hit two free-throws with no time left to lift the Heat to a 2-0 lead against the top seeds.
The Rockets finally advanced from the Western Conference first round thanks to a 104-102 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7.
Despite a poor offensive outing from James Harden, the Rockets moved into a meeting with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Harden produced a huge late block to deny Luguentz Dort (30 points) as the Rockets held on.
Even Heat enough to power past Giannis
Miami had seven players in double-digits for points in their win over the Bucks, led by Dragic (23).
Tyler Herro, 20, was one of the seven, going six-of-13 from the field for 17 points off the bench for Miami.
Antetokounmpo had a double-double of 29 points and 14 rebounds for the Bucks.
Chris Paul had a triple-double of 19 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds as the Thunder were beaten.
Harden's woes
Harden struggled badly for Houston. The star guard was four-of-15 for just 17 points in 37 minutes, while he also had four turnovers.
Huge defensive moment for Harden
While he battled offensively, Harden delivered a huge defensive play with his block on Dort.
Raptors face Celtics
Trailing the Boston Celtics 2-0 in the Eastern Conference semi-finals, the Toronto Raptors need a response on Thursday.
Herro scored a game-high and career-high 41 points on 13-of-20 shooting, hitting 10-of-15 from three-point range in the 111-108 victory.
His All-Star teammate Jimmy Butler was terrific in a supporting role, chipping in 20 points (seven-of-13 shooting), 10 rebounds, seven assists, four steals and three blocks.
For the Rockets, who were coming into the game off consecutive wins against the Milwaukee Bucks and the Phoenix Suns, Jalen Green top-scored yet again with 22 points (eight-of-21), while Kevin Porter Jr was more efficient on his way to 21 points (10-of-17), five assists and four steals.
The Heat are now on a three-game winning streak to pull their record even at 15-15, and they have a golden opportunity to rise above .500 when they finish their four-game road trip on Saturday against the San Antonio Spurs.
Morant dominates the Bucks
The Memphis Grizzlies led by 46 points after three quarters of their blowout win against the Milwaukee Bucks, allowing the starters to ride the bench down the stretch on the way to a 142-101 final score.
Last year's Most Improved Player, Ja Morant, was at the center of the Grizzlies' success with 25 points (nine-of-21), 10 rebounds and 10 assists, while eight Memphis players reached double-figures.
With the win, the Grizzlies improved their record to 19-9 and now sit alone atop the Western Conference.
Jazz fight off the Pelicans in overtime
The Utah Jazz continue to win at home, defeating the New Orleans Pelicans 132-129 to improve their record at Vivint Arena to 11-5 this season.
It is the second game in a row the Jazz have defeated the Pelicans after Tuesday's 121-100 triumph, with Jordan Clarkson proving the hero this time around.
Clarkson scored a season-high 39 points on 15-of-26 shooting, adding eight rebounds and two steals, including the first four points of overtime after Pelicans youngster Trey Murphy III forced the extra period with a three-pointer in the dying seconds of regulation.
A day after draining nine three-pointers against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Herro went one better against the Rockets on Thursday.
In doing so, Herro became just the fourth Heat player to land 10 threes in a game, the last to do so being Duncan Robinson in 2019.
Herro is only the third player to shoot at least nine threes in consecutive games, alongside Steph Curry and James Harden, and is the first to do it on back-to-back days.
"I didn't know it was the record until last night when I hit nine, and they said I was one short," Herro said.
"I didn't have any intention of coming in to tie the record, but I was just trying to get threes up. I think shooting more threes is helping."
Herro's tally of 41 was a career high, with 25 of those coming in the first half.
Aged 22 years and 329 days, Herro surpasses Dwayne Wade as the youngest Heat player to put up a 40-point game, while he is the first Miami star since LeBron James in 2014 to have at least 35 in consecutive outings.
Asked about Herro's threes heroics, head coach Erik Spoelstra said: "The last couple of games, that's been really the scheme against him. That's been open.
"But regardless, he's too good of a shooter for us to not take threes off the catch. He has to continue to be assertive in those opportunities.
"He's just a brilliant shooter. He can do it off the dribble and off the catch."
The Heat have won three straight games and sit eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 15-15 record.
The reigning champions were without Antetokounmpo for the fourth straight game after he entered the NBA's health and safety protocols last week.
The Bucks had lost their last two without their Greek star but Holiday finished with 24 points, 10 assists and four rebounds, while Middleton added 23 points and six assists on his return from a knee injury.
Young small forward Jordan Nwora hit four triples in his 18-point haul, while center Christian Wood had a double-double for the Rockets with 20 points and 11 rebounds.
The win improves the Bucks to a 20-13 record and third spot in the Eastern Conference.
Brown shines for Celtics
Jaylen Brown scored 16 first-quarter points to finish with 34 for the game including five three-pointers as the Boston Celtics got past the Cleveland Cavaliers 111-101. Darius Garland had 28 points and six assists for the Cavs.
Paul George recorded five steals along with 17 points and six assists as the Los Angeles Clippers finished strong to beat the Sacramento Kings 105-89.
The depleted Atlanta Hawks went down 104-98 to the Orlando Magic, despite Cam Reddish's season-high 34 points.
Jokic silenced by the Thunder
Reigning MVP Nikola Jokic had a rare quiet night with only 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists as well as three turnovers as the Denver Nuggets went down 108-94 to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (27 points, 11 rebounds, 12 assists) had a second career triple-double for OKC.
The first round rookie announced his arrival in the NBA after coming off the bench to post 22 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in a dazzling 31 minutes on court.
Terry Rozier added 23 points and PJ Washington posted 22 points to help Charlotte improve to 5-5 as the Hawks rallied with De'Andre Hunter scoring 20 points but fall to to 4-5.
Mikal Bridges starred and six players hit double figures as the Phoenix Suns advanced to 7-3 in the Western Conference with a 125-117 win over the Indiana Pacers.
Bridges led the scoring with a career-high 34 points as the Pacers fell to 6-3 in the Eastern Conference despite Domantas Sabonis' 28 points and 22 rebounds.
Earlier in the day, a threadbare Philadelphia 76ers fell to 7-3 after losing 115-113 to the Denver Nuggets as coach Doc Rivers had only seven players available due injury and COVID-19 protocols.
The 2018 MVP winner was back in the starting line-up having missed 14 straight games after suffering a tendon strain in his right foot on November 2, with Philly going 4-5 in his absence.
However, his comeback failed to yield an upturn as the 76ers went down 132-123 to Harden's former team the Houston Rockets following double overtime.
Harden contributed 21 points but was just 4-of-19 from the field, missing all eight attempts inside the three-point arc. He also chalked up four rebounds and seven assists.
Philly coach Doc Rivers said Harden would be on a minutes restriction, but he still racked up 39. However, the 33-year-old said it was difficult to find fluidity.
"I didn't play well, but I've got to be better and I will," Harden said.
"I was all over the place. I'm not used to it, but I'm not making any excuses. I have to do better."
Harden added that he had to fight his cause to play as much as he did in overtime.
"I had to fight to stay on the court just because there was a certain plan in place before the game started,'' Harden said.
"But once you go out there as a competitor you want to try to win."
The 76ers are on a three-match losing streak and sit seventh in the Eastern Conference with a 12-12 record. They next face the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday.
The Lakers overcame the Houston Rockets 132-123 with James finishing with 32 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists with one steal and two blocks while Russell Westbrook added 24 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.
The Lakers have struggled without center Anthony Davis who succumbed to an MCL sprain in the first of their five straight defeats, when they went down 110-92 to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
James, who turns 37 on Thursday, had been unable to arrest the Lakers' slide in Davis' absence but would not be draw on retirement plans.
"I know I'm on the other side of the hill compared to the hill I was on before," James said at the post-game news conference.
"I've thought about it, where I'm at and whether I'm still playing at such a high level. I've done 19 [seasons] and I'm not gonna do another 19.
"We'll see where my body takes me and my mind takes me. As long as my mind is fresh and my body stays with that, I can play the game.
"I've put in enough hours and punched enough clocks to know when that time comes I'll be OK with it."
The Lakers had endured a frustrating stretch falling below .500, having not won since December 15 when they got past the Dallas Mavericks 107-104 in over-time until breaking that against the Rockets.
"This is the pros," James told reporters after the win over the Rockets. "The hardest thing in this league is to win.
"At any level, any pro, NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, WNBA, the hardest thing to do is to win. It doesn’t matter who you're playing against or who's on the floor, everyone was drafted or signed to this level for a reason.
"Any time you can get a win in this league you don’t take it for granted."
The 2019 number one draft pick had a career-best 15 rebounds along with 37 points and eight assists as the Pels turned to him in Lonzo Ball's absence.
Pelicans coach Stan Van Gundy said: "We decided we'd play him at the point all night. He had the ball in his hands all the time and the ability to make plays.
"Had we shot decently he would have finished with double figure assists too. He played the game the way you're supposed to play the game. He was incredible tonight."
Joel Embiid was kept quiet by Steven Adams, managing only 14 points and nine rebounds for the 76ers who are behind the Brooklyn Nets in the East with a 35-17 record.
The Los Angeles Clippers blew the Houston Rockets away with a 41-10 second quarter in a 126-109 victory with Kawhi Leonard top scoring with 31 points, along with five rebounds and eight assists.
The win improves the in-form Clippers' record to 36-18 having now won four in a row and 10 of their past 12.
In his first game back following hamstring tightness, Harden left the court after four minutes with an issue with the same hamstring and did not return.
The Nets were already without Kevin Durant, Tyler Johnson, Landry Shamet and Blake Griffin but their star point guard lifted when his side needed him, improving Brooklyn's record to 35-16 and moving them top in the East.
Irving finished with 40 points, including five three-pointers and seven assists, while Jeff Green contributed 23 points.
The Utah Jazz's nine-game winning run was halted by Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks in a 111-103 win.
Doncic went close to a triple-double, finishing with 31 points along with nine rebounds and eight assists for the Mavs.
Booker on fire, Westbrook dominates in defeat
Devin Booker dominated again with 36 points for the Phoenix Suns, who won 133-130 over the Houston Rockets to move to 35-14.
Booker has had a hot hand lately and delivered when it mattered, with 18 final-quarter points getting the Suns past the Rockets.
Chris Paul had 11 assists for Phoenix, becoming the fifth player in NBA history to reach 10 or more assists 500 times.
Russell Westbrook had another triple-double with 23 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists but the Washington Wizards lost 103-101 to the Toronto Raptors after Gary Trent Jr's buzzer-beater.
Darius Garland scored a career-high 37 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers won 125-101 over the San Antonio Spurs.
Harden hurt again
Brooklyn's MVP candidate Harden did not last long in his return game after hamstring tightness, failing to score before being benched and tested in the locker room for a re-injury. Nets coach Steve Nash said: "Very similar to last time. He's got an awareness that something isn't right in his hammy."
Trent's buzzer-beater
Trent hit a clutch three-point buzzer-beater to earn the Toronto Raptors a dramatic victory over the Washington Wizards, completing a 19-point comeback.
Monday's results
Minnesota Timberwolves 116-106 Sacramento Kings
Detroit Pistons 132-108 Oklahoma City Thunder
Cleveland Cavaliers 125-101 San Antonio Spurs
Toronto Raptors 103-101 Washington Wizards
Dallas Mavericks 111-103 Utah Jazz
Brooklyn Nets 114-112 New York Knicks
Phoenix Suns 133-130 Houston Rockets
76ers at Celtics
There are a bunch of big match-ups on Tuesday but the biggest is in the East when the Boston Celtics (25-25) host the Philadelphia 76ers (34-16), who have Joel Embiid back from injury.
In his first game since close friend Kobe Bryant's death, point guard Irving posted 20 points, five rebounds and five assists as the Nets prevailed 125-115 against the Detroit Pistons.
Irving, who skipped Brooklyn's last game, fought back tears as Barclays Center paid a pre-game tribute to Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and the other seven victims of Sunday's helicopter crash.
Overlooked for an All-Star starting spot, Lillard boosted his hopes of being named among the reserves with a first career triple-double.
The 29-year-old tallied 36 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists to take the Portland Trail Blazers to a 125-112 victory over the Houston Rockets, who were led by Russell Westbrook's 39 points and 10 rebounds.
Oladipo delivers in magical comeback
Victor Oladipo put 12 months of injury rehabilitation behind him with a clutch three-pointer as the Indiana Pacers beat the Chicago Bulls 115-106 in overtime. Finally recovered from a ruptured quad tendon, the former number two overall draft pick completed 21 minutes off the bench and hit a long-range shot in the closing seconds to send the game into an extra period.
DeMar DeRozan dropped a season-high 38 points on 11-of-19 shooting to see the San Antonio Spurs to a slump-busting 127-120 win over the Utah Jazz. Utah suffered their second successive loss despite Rudy Gobert's double-double and 31 points from Donovan Mitchell.
Dillon Brooks had 27 points and Jonas Valanciunas a double-double as the Memphis Grizzlies extended their winning streak to four games, defeating the New York Knicks 127-106.
Gordon goes cold
After hitting 50 points two days earlier, Eric Gordon came crashing back to reality in Portland. The 31-year-old guard went two-of-10 from the floor for eight points against the Trail Blazers, making just one of his eight three-point attempts.
Dinwiddie dazzles
Spencer Dinwiddie's 28 points against the Pistons included a neat reverse layup.
Wednesday's results
Indiana Pacers 115-106 Chicago Bulls
Memphis Grizzlies 127-106 New York Knicks
Brooklyn Nets 125-115 Detroit Pistons
San Antonio Spurs 127-120 Utah Jazz
Portland Trail Blazers 125-112 Houston Rockets
Oklahoma City Thunder 120-100 Sacramento Kings
Jazz at Nuggets
The Jazz (32-15) are back on the road on Thursday with a big Western Conference clash against the Denver Nuggets (32-15), who will be looking to rebound from their recent loss to the Grizzlies.
The Nets trailed by as many as 18 points, while NBA MVP hopeful Harden sat out the fourth quarter against his former team the Rockets with right hamstring tightness.
Harden finished with 17 points, eight rebounds and six assists in 27 minutes on Wednesday.
But star team-mate Irving picked up the slack, posting 31 points and a season-high 12 assists to guide the Nets to the top of the Eastern Conference.
The Nets, who have won 19 of their past 22 games, are a half-game clear of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Meanwhile, the NBA-leading Utah Jazz feared 'the end" before their 111-107 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
Utah's charter flight was forced into an emergency landing after the plane collided with a flock of birds, causing an engine fire and failure.
After scoring 26 points to lift the Jazz, All-Star Mike Conley told reporters: "For a good 10 or 15 minutes, I think all of us on that flight were questioning if we were going to be here today.
"That's how serious it was for us. I can't speak for everybody, but I know that guys were trying to text family just in case, you know? It was that kind of situation."
"It got to that point where we were all on the plane like, 'This might be really the end'," Utah's Jordan Clarkson added in the absence of Donovan Mitchell. "I mean, it was a crazy situation. I understand fully why Don didn't come."
Giannis and Bucks take down Lakers, Booker has Suns sizzling
Giannis Antetokounmpo posted 25 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and three blocks as the Milwaukee Bucks beat the injury-hit Los Angeles Lakers 112-97. Jrue Holiday top-scored with 28 points for the Bucks, who snapped a three-game losing run.
Devin Booker put up a season-high 45 points in the Phoenix Sun's 121-116 victory against the Chicago Bulls. Chris Paul added 19 points and 14 assists.
Luka Doncic had a game-high 36 points as the Dallas Mavericks held on to defeat the Boston Celtics 113-108. Doncic is now tied with Nikola Jokic for the most NBA games with 30-plus points, five-plus rebounds and five-plus assists this season – 15.
The Portland Trail Blazers were 124-101 winners over the Detroit Pistons thanks to a double-double of 33 points and 10 assists from Damian Lillard.
Painful debut for Drummond
Andre Drummond's Lakers debut did not go according to plan. Acquired by the defending champions after clearing waivers on Sunday, the two-time All-Star hobbled off the court with a toe injury. Drummond was two-for-six shooting, while he missed both of his free throws prior to exiting after 14 minutes.
Family time
It was a special moment as the three Antetokounmpo brothers took to the court in Los Angeles. Two-time reigning MVP Giannis was joined by brother and team-mate Thanasis and Lakers forward Kostas post-game.
Wednesday's results:
Portland Trail Blazers 124-101 Detroit Pistons
Miami Heat 92-87 Indiana Pacers
Dallas Mavericks 113-108 Boston Celtics
Brooklyn Nets 120-108 Houston Rockets
Utah Jazz 111-107 Memphis Grizzlies
Minnesota Timberwolves 102-101 New York Knicks
Oklahoma City Thunder 113-103 Toronto Raptors
San Antonio Spurs 120-106 Sacramento Kings
Phoenix Suns 121-111 Chicago Bulls
Milwaukee Bucks 112-97 Los Angeles Lakers
76ers at Cavaliers
The 76ers (32-15) will look to snap a two-game losing streak and keep up with the Nets when they visit the Cleveland Cavaliers (17-30) on Thursday.
Irving had been ruled out of the entire regular season by the Nets due to his vaccination status but the franchise changed their stance a fortnight ago, permitting him to play road games.
The 29-year-old point guard played 32 minutes, making nine-of-17 from the field along with three rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Irving's return reunited the 'big three' alongside Kevin Durant (39 points, eight rebounds and seven assists) and James Harden (18 points, five rebounds and six assists).
The Pacers had led 73-60 at half-time with a biggest lead of 19 points before Brooklyn rallied with an 8-0 run to end the third quarter, before Patty Mills put them ahead with a fourth-quarter three-pointer.
Domantas Sabonis recorded a triple-double for the Pacers with 32 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.
Popovich brings up 2,000th in style
Gregg Popovich coached the San Antonio Spurs for the 2,000th time, recording his 1,325th win in charge as they beat the Boston Celtics 97-95 with Jaylen Brown's lay-up buzzer beater rimming out. Brown scored 30 points with six rebounds, while Dejounte Murray had 22 points, nine rebounds and 12 assists for the Spurs.
Bojan Bogdanovic (36 points, 13 rebounds and four assists) won the battle of the Balkan stars against Nikola Jokic as the Utah Jazz edged the Denver Nuggets 115-109. The reigning MVP was exceptional for the Nugs with 26 points, 21 rebounds and 11 assists.
Joel Embiid scored 31 points as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Orlando Magic 116-106, while Giannis Antetokounmpo was absent with a non-COVID-related illness as the Milwaukee Bucks lost 117-111 to the Toronto Raptors with Pascal Siakam netting 33 points.
Curry goes cold for Warriors
Stephen Curry had an ordinary shooting night, going five-of-24 from the field and one-of-nine from beyond the arc as the Golden State Warriors lost 99-82 to the Dallas Mavericks. Curry finished with 14 points with nine rebounds while Mavs All-Star Luka Doncic had 26 points with seven rebounds and eight assists.
In his first regular-season appearance since December 2018, Wall helped the Rockets past the Sacramento Kings 122-119 on Thursday.
Wall finished with 22 points, nine assists and six rebounds, while Harden had 33 points, eight assists and six rebounds.
After his debut for the Rockets, Wall said he enjoyed his connection with Harden.
"I think it was cool. I missed some easy shots, trying to get some rust off, no matter how much I practice and play in preseason it's a bit different when you get in real games," the guard told a news conference.
Wall added: "My job here is to help James as much as possible, make it a little easier for him.
"You know when we need a bucket and get to crunch-time situation, you know what he's capable of."
Harden scored 16 fourth-quarter points for the Rockets, who claimed their first win of the season.
The eight-time All-Star was pleased with the win, while praising Wall's performance.
"He was extremely aggressive, making plays, defensively getting after it, he looked really, really good, especially not playing in almost two years," Harden said.
"Once we get a rhythm and guys get into their roles and find their best fit for the team, we'll be even better.
"But I'm happy in the last six minutes when it was time to get stops we did and offensively we executed."
The two combined for 78 points as the Rockets recorded a 116-105 home win over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday that ended their opponents' run of seven straight victories.
Harden scored 42, including seven three-pointers, with Westbrook adding 36 as they followed Los Angeles Clippers duo Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to become the second NBA team-mates to achieve the feat in 2019-20.
Leonard and George did it in a December game against the Minnesota Timberwolves but this was the first time it had happened in Rockets team history, per the Elias Sports Bureau.
Harden and Westbrook's exploits helped the Rockets bounce back from two consecutive defeats to move to 34-20, good for fifth in the Western Conference.
"It's pretty scary," Harden said, per ESPN, of his and Westbrook's potential.
Westbrook is relishing having an open floor to attack due to Harden and Houston's other three-point threats. The Rockets are playing with a small-ball lineup having traded center Clint Capela.
He added: "It's tough to guard, especially when I'm attacking and making plays and being able to do what I need to do to be effective.
"We made a big change, and we've got to get adjusted to that with Clint gone. So we're just kind of getting acclimated to that. I think we've got it moving in the right direction.
"We can be pretty successful. We've just got to find ways to continue to be effective, efficient and make the right plays."
Westbrook also had 10 rebounds and five assists, while Harden had eight rebounds and seven assists.
Coach Mike D'Antoni is keen to utilise the strengths of his two All-Stars.
"For Russell, [the spacing created by small lineups] is really advantageous, and it will be for James, too," said D'Antoni.
"It makes them really hard to guard and it's helping both of them. It opens up the floor. Both of them are great drivers and great finishers and it should trickle down to everybody else, too."
Celtics coach Brad Stevens knew he had been up against elite competition, adding: "Harden was great and Westbrook was great. Those guys are two of the best in the world and they showed it again."
Former NBA MVP Harden was moved to the Nets one month ago after playing more than eight seasons with Houston.
He joined Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in a star-studded roster, having played eight games early in the season with the Rockets.
Harden's desire to seek a trade had been public knowledge since the offseason but a drawn-out process followed until the 31-year-old was traded after a 17-point loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
After that game Harden called the situation "crazy" and "something that I don't think can be fixed".
Harden was happy the Rockets ultimately granted his wish to move to Brooklyn, but regrets the acrimonious nature of his departure.
"Apologise for how it went down, but I guess I had to do what I had to do in order to get to where I wanted to go," Harden said to ESPN.
"And credit to Houston, they didn't necessarily have to trade me to Brooklyn. They could have traded me anywhere, but those are some stand-up guys over there.
"And it ended up the right way, but just didn't like how that month or two played out."
Harden insists the circumstances of the weeks leading up to his Rockets exit did not provide a fair reflection of his character.
He added: "I don't like it at all because that's not who I am. The drama, the extra whatever you want to call it, the negativity for me.
"I don't really like negative energy. That's draining. So I don't like how it necessarily happened.
"The front office knew where I stood and what I wanted. I feel like it could have happened a lot smoother, a lot easier, but it is what it is."
The Nets are 15-12, third in the Eastern Conference, ahead of Saturday's big game at the Golden State Warriors (14-12).
Harden leads the league with 11.0 assists per game in 2020-21, though his scoring average sits at 23.9 points, lower than what he recorded in any of his full seasons with the Rockets.
Eight-time All-Star Harden did little to convince anyone he wants to stay in Houston when he spoke to the media for the first time ahead of the new NBA season on Wednesday.
The 2017-18 MVP was late for the start of the Rockets' training camp that opened on December 6, opting to spend time in Las Vegas and Atlanta rather than with his team-mates in Houston.
When asked why he spent time there instead of with the Rockets, Harden had this exchange with a reporter:
Harden: "I was just training."
Reporter: "What were you training for?"
Harden: "The start of the NBA season."
Reporter: "How did going to Atlanta and Vegas help you there when the Rockets were starting training camp in Houston?"
Harden: "Just with my personal trainers."
The start of camp is when players get comfortable working together on the court, and Harden's rationale for being away from his team-mates when they were practicing together then collapsed upon itself.
"I haven't got an opportunity to play five-on-five," he said. "Individual workouts, weightlifting, individual basketball training is great, but every NBA player can agree, there's nothing like five-on-five training, the physicality, making reads and things like that."
Harden practiced with his team-mates for the first time on Monday and then made his preseason debut on Tuesday, scoring 12 points in 21 minutes in Houston's 112-98 win over the San Antonio Spurs.
Reports have been swirling that the disgruntled three-time defending NBA scoring champion wants out of Houston, but Harden dodged answering questions about the trade speculation.
"Right now, I'm just focused on being here," he said. "Today was good, yesterday felt really good being out here for the first time since the bubble."
The Rockets were eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers in five games in the Western Conference semifinals in the bubble in September, after winning a third straight Southwest Division title.
This year's team will have a different look after Russell Westbrook was traded to the Washington Wizards for John Wall, along with Stephen Silas serving as coach after Mike D'Antoni told the Rockets he was not returning at the end of last season.
Houston begin their 2020-21 season next Wednesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Houston Rockets star Harden is renowned for his high usage rate, and All-Star captain Antetokounmpo instead selected Kemba Walker at the recent draft.
The Greek said: "I want somebody that's going to pass the ball."
Then, after the game, which Harden's Team LeBron won, Antetokounmpo claimed Team Giannis had targeted "whoever James Harden was guarding".
Harden was asked about the comments on ESPN's The Jump this week and did not appear amused.
"I average more assists than [Walker], I think," said Harden, who averages 7.3 assists to Walker's 5.0. "I don't see what the joke is.
"But I didn't even see [the comments] - I don't pay attention to stuff like that. I just know they keep mentioning me."
Seemingly referring to Antetokounmpo, he added: "I wish I was seven feet and could just run and dunk. That takes no skill at all.
"I've got to actually learn how to play basketball, how to have skill. I'd take that any day."
Antetokounmpo is the favourite to be named the MVP again, with the Milwaukee Bucks on course to claim the number one seed in the Eastern Conference once more.
However, Harden was not impressed by the 'MVP Ladder' on the league's official website that did not rank him in the top five contenders in mid-February.
"It's crazy. I still lead the league in scoring," he said. "That's something I can't control.
"Around the league, if you named the top five players that are getting double-teamed... Nobody's mentioning that.
"I'm not the type to say it or broadcast it, I'm just going to go out there and try to win games. That's what I've been trying to do."
