James Harden delivered game highs of 44 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists Friday to power the Brooklyn Nets over Detroit 113-111 while Boston ended Milwaukee’s eight-game NBA win streak.
Harden missed Wednesday’s loss at Utah with neck soreness but returned with a vengeance at Detroit, hitting 14-of-30 from the floor, 4-of-11 3-pointers, and 12-of-14 free throws.
It was Harden’s highest-scoring performance since joining the Nets from Houston, helping Brooklyn improve to 31-15 and making a case for himself as the NBA Most Valuable Player.
“I feel like I am the MVP. It’s just that simple,” Harden said. “Let’s leave it at that.”
Harden scored 12 of Brooklyn’s 15 points in a key stretch that ended early in the fourth quarter and turned a one-point deficit into a 10-point Nets lead.
“I just try to go out there and give my teammates every single thing I can bring to the game,” Harden said. “I just take what the defense gives me, just play the game the right way and try to be efficient.”
With Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving missing from the Nets’ lineup, Harden has raised his game. Also inspired was reserve Blake Griffin, who added 17 points in his return after leaving Detroit for the Nets. Jeff Green sank a late 3-pointer and Joe Harris added a free throw with 5.3 seconds to hold off the Pistons. Boston’s Jayson Tatum scored 34 points and Marcus Smart added 23 to spark the Celtics over host Milwaukee 122-114 after losing 10 of their prior 11 road contests.
“We played with good purpose, good connectivity,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. “I thought everybody that played gave us a good lift.”
Milwaukee fell to 29-15, falling a game behind Brooklyn into third in the Eastern Conference, while Boston improved to 22-23. Khris Middleton had 19 points and Giannis Antetokounmpo added 16 despite being benched in the fourth quarter. “They were excellent and we didn’t play our best. We weren’t as good as them tonight,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “We didn’t play good enough.”
Bahamian big man Deandre Ayton and Chris Paul each scored 19 points and Devin Booker added 16 to spark Phoenix over Toronto 104-100 for a 10th win in 13 contests, the Suns improving to second in the Western Conference at 30-14.
“It takes a lot of pressure off,” Booker said of his teammates’ effort. “You don’t have to perform at the highest, highest level every night to win games.”
Nikola Jokic scored 37 points and the visiting Denver Nuggets held off Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans 113-108 on Friday night.
Michael Porter Jr. added 25 points, Jamal Murray had 23 points and 11 assists and Paul Millsap scored 16 as the Nuggets beat the Pelicans by the same score that the Pelicans beat them last Sunday in Denver.
Williamson had 39 points and 10 rebounds, but his layup with 2:07 left provided the last New Orleans points. Eric Bledsoe added 16 points, Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 14, Brandon Ingram had 13 (but made just 5-of-17 shots), and Josh Hart scored 10.
After Williamson’s layup gave the Pelicans a 108-107 lead, Jokic made consecutive baskets that gave Denver a 111-108 lead with 1:03 left.
New Orleans had a chance to tie but turned the ball over on a shot-clock violation with 5.1 seconds left, and Will Barton made two free throws.
Millsap’s dunk started the fourth-quarter scoring and gave Denver a one-point lead before New Orleans scored the next nine points.
Jokic’s basket ended the run and pulled the Nuggets within 95-89.
The Pelicans extended the lead to 11 before Denver got within 100-96 midway through the quarter.
Porter’s 3-pointer completed a 9-0 run that pulled Denver within 71-68 early in the third quarter.
Murray scored seven straight points and assisted on Jokic’s 3-pointer during a 12-0 run that gave the Nuggets an 85-80 lead.
Williamson ended the run with a basket and New Orleans scored the final six points to take an 86-85 lead at the end of the quarter.
Williamson scored nine points and Ingram had eight as the Pelicans raced to a 22-12 lead.
The Nuggets used a 14-4 run to pull even at 26 before New Orleans scored seven points in the final 58 seconds to take a 33-26 lead at the end of the quarter.
It also scored the first seven points of the second quarter before Porter’s jumper pulled Denver within 47-39 midway through the period.
The Nuggets got as close as six points before the Pelicans took a 63-54 halftime lead.Utah’s Donovan Mitchell scored 35 points and French big man Rudy Gobert added 25 points and nine rebounds in a 117-114 home triumph over Memphis. 
Grizzlies star Ja Morant scored 32 points in a losing cause as the Jazz improved the NBA’s best record to 33-11 with a fourth straight victory.
Norman Powell and CJ McCollum each scored 22 points to power the Portland Trail Blazers over host Orlando 112-105 while Domantas Sabonis and Malcolm Brogdon each scored 22 points to lead Indiana over host Dallas 109-94. Karl-Anthony Towns had 29 points and 16 rebounds for Minnesota in a 107-101 home victory over Houston. He had 14 points in a game-ending 22-0 run for the Timberwolves after Houston led by 16.
Charlotte’s Malik Monk came off the bench to score a game-high 32 points and lead the Hornets over visiting Miami 110-105.