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HOUSTON — James Harden has been putting up MVP-caliber numbers all season for the Houston Rockets.
Given the chance to go head to head with one of his biggest competitors for the award, Harden and the Rockets came out on top.
Harden scored 33 points and Cleveland star LeBron James missed a pair of free throws with 4.2 seconds left in overtime, helping the Rockets hold on for a 105-103 win over the Cavaliers on Sunday.
Harden dismissed any talk that the performance was some sort of statement about the league’s MVP award.
“Every game is a statement for me,” said Harden, who leads the NBA in scoring. “I’m just out here trying to prove myself — trying to win games.”
It’s worked well so far. Harden has led the Rockets to five straight wins, a 41-18 record and the third seed in the Western Conference with fellow star Dwight Howard out with a knee problem.
James hit a 3-pointer with 43.5 seconds left to get Cleveland within one. Harden and James got tangled up on Houston’s next possession, but no foul was called and the shot clock expired.
James drove into the lane and was fouled by Josh Smith, but he missed both free throws to finish 3 for 11 at the line.
“There is no excuse. I missed free throws,” James said. “I missed the two biggest ones of the game to put us up with seconds on the clock and I didn’t come through. I failed my teammates.”
Pacers 94, 76ers 74
INDIANAPOLIS — Roy Hibbert had 14 points, 15 rebounds and five blocked shots to help the Indiana Pacers beat the Philadelphia 76ers 94-74 on Sunday night.
The win moved the surging Pacers (25-34) three percentage points ahead of Brooklyn and Charlotte in the crowded race for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot. Indiana has won eight of 10, while the 76ers have lost six of seven.
George Hill scored 17 points and Luis Scola added 15 off the bench for the Pacers. Hibbert had his 14th double-double of the season.
Indiana held Philadelphia to 10 points in the fourth quarter on 4-of-22 shooting.
Robert Covington led the Sixers with 12 points despite leaving in the third period due to an injury. Ish Smith added 11 off the bench.
Thunder 108, Lakers 101
LOS ANGELES — D.J. Augustin was still in Detroit when the Oklahoma City Thunder played 14 games without Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook earlier this season.
With the Thunder’s superstar duo sidelined again, the undersized new guy seized the opportunity to show his skill.
Serge Ibaka had 18 points and 14 rebounds, Augustin added 18 points, nine rebounds and five assists, and Oklahoma City beat the Los Angeles Lakers to snap a two-game skid.
The game looked like trouble on paper for the eighth-place Thunder. Durant is out with a foot injury, while Westbrook underwent surgery on his right cheek Saturday in his native Los Angeles, where the Lakers had won a season-best three straight.
Yet with Augustin in charge and fellow newcomer Enes Kanter adding 16 points and 15 rebounds, the Thunder’s supporting players and backups never trailed against the 14th-place Lakers. Augustin stepped in for Westbrook as the Thunder’s catalyst, and the veteran looked sharp in his sixth game with his sixth NBA team.
“I’m surrounded by great players who know the game,” Augustin said. “They made it easy to transition to this team. I feel like I fit in right away.”
Trail Blazers 110, Kings 99
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Damian Lillard has a knack for playing well in the fourth quarter and demonstrated it again Sunday in helping the Portland Trail Blazers hold off the Sacramento Kings.
Lillard scored nine of his 31 points in the fourth quarter, LaMarcus Aldridge had 26 points and 15 rebounds, and the Blazers beat the Kings for their third straight victory.
With Portland clinging to a one-point lead early in the fourth quarter, Lillard quickly responded with a 3-pointer and followed with a jumper to help the Blazers pull away from the feisty Kings, who trailed by 10 entering the fourth. Portland closed the game with a 10-3 run.
Lillard had his fingerprints all over this game, contributing seven assists, four rebounds and hitting three 3-pointers. He made 11 of 20 shots, all six free throws, and scored 19 second-half points.
Hornets 98, Magic 83
ORLANDO, Fla. — Mo Williams is going to have to do more than just score to get Charlotte to the playoffs this season. He also needs to distribute the ball like he did Sunday night against Orlando.
Williams had 23 points and 11 assists, leading the Hornets to a victory over the Magic.
“I’m a player that takes what the defense gives us,” Williams said. “The last three games or so, they’ve been backing off, and my strength is shooting pull-up jumpers. … Tonight they were showing so I wanted to give up the ball out pretty quick so guys could make plays on the backside.”
It was the fifth straight double-digit scoring game for Williams and his second time with double-digit assists since being dealt to Charlotte at the trade deadline.
Warriors 106, Celtics 101
BOSTON — Stephen Curry scored 37 points, making four straight free throws to clinch it in the final seconds and the Golden State Warriors erased a 26-point deficit to beat the Boston Celtics 106-101.
Golden State won for the seventh time in nine tries and snapped Boston’s three-game winning streak. Klay Thompson scored 20 for the Warriors, Harrison Barnes had 17 and Draymond Green scored 11 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter.
Isaiah Thomas scored 20 points off the bench for Boston. Jae Crowder had a career-high 17 rebounds to go with his nine points, but his 3-pointer with a chance to give Boston the lead with under a minute left rolled around the rim and out.
Andre Iguodala followed with a layup to give Golden State a three-point lead, driving down the center of the lane as the final seconds ticked off the shot clock.
Thomas made a layup, then Curry sank two free throws to make it 104-101 with 10.5 seconds left. Thomas had an open 3-pointer, but it bounced off the back of the rim and Curry grabbed the rebound.