WASHINGTON (AP) – Otto Porter Jr. scored 26 points, Bradley Beal and Kelly Oubre Jr. had 21 each, and the Washington Wizards beat Houston 121-103 Friday night for the high-scoring Rockets’ fifth straight loss.
It’s the longest skid for Houston since dropping seven straight from Jan. 9-19, 2013.
NBA scoring leader James Harden matched his season low with 20 points for the Rockets. Chris Paul returned after missing three games with a strained groin and had eight points and six assists in 26 minutes.
Houston Rockets forward PJ Tucker (4) shoots as Washington Wizards center Ian Mahinmi (28), from France, gets his hand on the ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 29, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
A night after blowing a 26-point lead in Boston, the Rockets held their last lead midway through the first quarter en route to their worst defeat of the season. Houston has by far the most 3-pointers in the league this season but was held to 29.2 percent (14 for 48) from deep.
TIP-INS
Rockets: Houston is 15-2 with Harden and Paul in the lineup. … C Clint Capela was out for the second straight game with an orbital fracture. … Coach Mike D’Antoni said he hadn’t looked at the NBA’s report on the final two minutes of his team’s loss at Boston on Thursday night, when Harden was called for two offensive fouls in the final 7.3 seconds. “I don’t care. It’s over,” D’Antoni said. … F Ryan Anderson had a season-high 12 rebounds.
Wizards: Porter matched a career high with seven 3-pointers. … F Mike Scott was away from the team for the birth of his daughter. … Coach Scott Brooks didn’t endorse G John Wall’s suggestion that Washington’s record against sub-.500 teams (9-10) was because players were aiming to pad stats. “I wouldn’t say we’re a selfish team, but we need to get better at that,” Brooks said. “If players play for stats against losing teams, you would see a big jump in their stats.”
UP NEXT
Rockets: Host the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night.
Wizards: Host Chicago on Sunday.
___
For more NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball
Washington Wizards guard Jodie Meeks, left, guards Houston Rockets forward Ryan Anderson during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 29, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Houston Rockets guard Eric Gordon (10) passes the ball as he is guarded by Washington Wizards center Marcin Gortat (13), from Poland, and forward Otto Porter Jr. (22) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 29, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Houston Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni looks up at the monitor as he disputes a call during the first half of the team’s NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards, Friday, Dec. 29, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Houston Rockets forward Tarik Black (28) dunks past Washington Wizards forward Otto Porter Jr. during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 29, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Washington Wizards forward Tomas Satoransky (31), from the Czech Republic, dunks over Houston Rockets forward Zhou Qi (9) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 29, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.