DPA/Los Angeles

The Dallas Mavericks nearly turned laughter into a disaster.

Chandler Parsons poured in 29 points, German star Dirk Nowitzki had 27, and the Mavericks survived the visiting Boston Celtics 118-113 on Monday for their third straight win despite almost blowing a 31-point cushion.

“It’s hard to get a young athletic team that’s pissed off coming out in the second half,” said Mavs coach Rick Carlisle, whose club was outscored 72-51 after intermission. “They came right at us and we didn’t do a good job.”

Boston trailed 72-41 in the second quarter and by 26 at halftime but stormed back behind Jeff Green and Avery Bradley. With a chance to knot the game, Bradley made just two of three free throws after drawing a foul from Monta Ellis on a 3-point attempt, making it 114-113 with 39 ticks to go.

Ellis (14 points) then hit a runner off the glass, and later converted two free throws with 8.5 seconds remaining, to seal the Mavs’ ninth win in the last 11 meetings in the series.

Green topped the Celtics (1-2) with 35 points, Bradley finished with a career-high 32 while Rajon Rondo dished out 15 assists in defeat.

“It’s easy to play when you’re down 26. There’s no pressure,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. “It’s hard to play when you’re up 26 and figure out what to say to keep the team motivated.

“So to make a little run is not unusual. To make it all the way where you have a chance to tie it on the last shot may be a little unusual, but our guys did make some plays in the second half.

“We played much better, we feel much better about how we played. It would’ve been a sickening feeling to get on the bus after two halves like that. But it doesn’t change that you can’t play like we did in the first half.”

n Philadelphia 76ers 93: James Harden hit 17-of-18 free throws en route to 35 points, and grabbed nine rebounds, as the visiting Rockets moved to 4-0 while keeping the Sixers winless through four games.

The Rockets are off to their best start since opening the 1996-97 campaign at 6-0. They’ll face their first big test Tuesday on the road against the 3-0 Miami Heat.

Trevor Ariza scored 24 points with six triples, Dwight Howard collected 11 points and 14 rebounds while Isaiah Cannon netted 13 for Houston, which hit 16-of-34 from behind the arc and controlled the boards, 47-31.

The Sixers were paced by Tony Wroten’s 20 points and K.J. McDaniel chipped in with 14.

Ahead 84-80 with just under eight minutes remaining, Harden and Cannon each buried a pair of triples, Ariza also connected from deep during a decisive 18-6 surge that put Houston ahead, 102-86 with two minutes 12 seconds remaining.

n Memphis Grizzlies 93, New Orleans Pelicans 81: Spaniard Marc Gasol collected 16 points with 11 rebounds, Zach Randolph had 15 points and 11 boards, as the Grizzlies improved to a franchise-best 4-0 start after clawing past the visiting Pelicans.

Tyreke Evans led New Orleans (1-2) with 21 points, while Anthony Davis was held to 14 and eight boards.

n Brooklyn Nets 116, Oklahoma City Thunder 85: Brook Lopez scored 18 points with six rebounds in his season debut, and the Nets rolled the injury-decimated Thunder.

Alan Anderson also netted 18 points off the bench, while Deron Williams added 17 and nine assists for Brooklyn (2-1), which was never challenged in the rout.

Reggie Jackson tallied 23 points for Oklahoma City (1-3), playing without reigning MVP Kevin Durant (foot surgery) and All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook (broken right hand).

n Sacramento Kings 110, Denver Nuggets 105: Darren Collison led five team-mates in double figures with 21 points, DeMarcus Cousins had 19, and the visiting Kings (3-1) rocked the Nuggets for their third straight win.

JaVale McGee and Arron Afflalo had 16 points apiece for the Nuggets (1-2), losers of two in a row.

n LA Clippers 107, Utah Jazz 101: Blake Griffin dropped in 31 points, Chris Paul posted his 12th career triple double, with 13 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds, helping the Clippers (3-1) beat the visiting Jazz.