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NBA roundup: Wizards hang on to beat Rockets, 104-103

Rockets center Dwight Howard (12) and guard James Harden apply defensive pressure against Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) in the fourth quarter Monday night in Houston.
(Patric Schneider / Associated Press)
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Bradley Beal scored 33 points and Paul Pierce had 21, and the Washington Wizards survived a furious fourth-quarter charge by the Houston Rockets to claim a 104-103 victory Monday night in Houston.

John Wall racked up 12 assists to go with 13 points for Washington, which won its third straight to open a five-game road trip and improved to 22-8, tied with Atlanta for the East’s second-best record, behind 24-7 Toronto.

James Harden scored 33 points — including a three-pointer with under a second to go in regulation to get Houston within a point — and Corey Brewer added 15 from the bench for the Rockets, who fell to 21-9, fourth in the West.

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Houston outscored the Wizards on second-chance points, 18-9, and points in the paint, 50-34, but was plagued by poor shooting. Washington had no such issues, shooting nearly 93% from the free-throw line and 44.4% percent from beyond the three-point arc.

at Brooklyn 107, Sacramento 99: Mason Plumlee continued his impressive play with a team-high 22 points, Joe Johnson and Jarret Jack each scored 16, and the Nets held on to beat the Kings. Plumlee, a rookie center, has averaged 17.2 points in his last 10 games, roughly double his season average. Rudy Gay had 25 points and DeMarcus Cousins added 24 points and 13 rebounds for Sacramento, which has lost 13 of its last 17 games.

Orlando 102, at Miami 101: Former USC center Nikola Vucevic scored 26 points, Victor Oladipo scored seven of his 22 in the final minutes and the Magic scored its first win against Miami in 11 tries. Dwyane Wade scored 25 points for Miami, which has lost 12 of 18 at home, Chris Bosh scored 20 in his return after missing eight games because of a strained left calf.

Chicago 92, at Indiana 90: Jimmy Butler had 27 points and nine rebounds to lead the Bulls to their seventh straight win. Pau Gasol had 20 points and Derrick Rose added 17 for Chicago. Indiana’s Chris Copeland scored 13 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter, when the Pacers completed a 23-2 run that gave them an 84-83 lead with 6:15 to play.

Milwaukee 104, at Charlotte 94: Brandon Knight scored 18 points, including a layup to force overtime, and the Bucks pulled away in the extra period. Kemba Walker scored 28 points and Gerald Henderson had 19 for the Hornets (10-22), who fought back from a 21-point deficit in the first half.

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