The Houston Rockets set a new NBA record as they sank 26 three-pointers in Wednesday night's 136-118 victory over the Washington Wizards.
James Harden accounted for six of the long balls on his way to 35 points while Chris Paul made five. Gerald Green and Eric Gordon got four each.
Houston had tied the previous record, the 25 made by Cleveland against Atlanta in March 2017, with a three from Gary Clark with 2:42 remaining but missed four more attempts before Michael Carter-Williams struck with 31 seconds left.
Setting an #NBA record tonight! 🔥 Watch all 26 three-pointers ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/xnum350xHt — Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) December 20, 2018
It was a fifth straight win for Houston, who stay top of the Southwest Division, narrowly ahead of the San Antonio Spurs who beat the Orlando Magic 129-90 by shooting 64.9 per cent from the field. LaMarcus Aldridge led the scoring with 20 points.
The Oklahoma City Thunder recorded a third consecutive win as Paul George scored 43 points, Russell Westbrook collected a triple-double and Steven Adams grabbed a career-high 23 points in a 132-113 victory over the Sacramento Kings.
Westbrook finished with 19 points, 17 assists and 11 rebounds as the Thunder moved within one game of the Denver Nuggets at the top of the Northwest Division.
Paul George taking over! 41 points so far – an All-Star performance. ⭐️ #ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/kMBhnLsXWd — OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) December 20, 2018
Joe Ingles scored 20 points and Rudy Gobert 17 as the Utah Jazz edged out Golden State 108-103, just a second defeat in eight for the Warriors.
The Phoenix Suns continued their recent resurgence by beating the Boston Celtics 111-103 for a fourth straight win, though at 8-24 they remain dead last in the West.
The Toronto Raptors improved the best record in the NBA to 24-9 with a 99-96 win over the Indiana Pacers, keeping them three games clear of the Philadelphia 76ers who beat the sorry New York Knicks 131-109.
Helluva 4th quarter. @TangerineHoops Game Highlights 📺 | https://t.co/8Eq81JPCrQ pic.twitter.com/VY9JFUA9FA — Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) December 20, 2018
Indiana's loss allowed the Milwaukee Bucks to extend their lead in the Central Division to two games with a 123-115 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, while the Charlotte Hornets capitalised on Orlando's loss to move clear in the Southeast Division with a 110-99 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, who dropped to 8-24.
Elsewhere, the Brooklyn Nets edged out the Chicago Bulls 96-93, the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Memphis Grizzlies 99-92, and the Detroit Pistons beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 129-123 in overtime.
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