Williams helps Houston crush New Orleans 129-99

The Associated Press
Houston Rockets guard Lou Williams (12) goes to the basket in front of New Orleans Pelicans forward DeMarcus Cousins (0) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017. The Rockets won 129-99. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Reserve Lou Williams hit seven 3-pointers and scored 27 points in his Rockets debut after a trade from the Lakers, helping Houston crush New Orleans 129-99 on Thursday night in DeMarcus Cousins' first game with Anthony Davis.

Davis had 29 points, and Cousins finished with 27 points and 14 rebounds after he was acquired from Sacramento during the break. But New Orleans turned the ball over 20 times couldn't keep pace with the firepower of the Rockets, who hit 20 3-pointers.

Eric Gordon scored 19 points and Ryan Anderson added 17 in both players' first game in New Orleans since leaving the Pelicans. James Harden had 13 points and 14 assists.

Houston led by as many as 35 points when Gordon's free throws made it 100-65 late in the third quarter.

CAVALIERS 119, KNICKS 104

CLEVELAND (AP) — LeBron James recorded his 48th career triple-double and Kyrie Irving scored 23 points, leading Cleveland over the New York Knicks, who hung on to superstar Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose at the trade deadline.

James scored 18 points and had 13 rebounds with 15 assists for his sixth triple-double of the season.

Anthony, the subject of trade rumors because of a strained relationship with Knicks President of Basketball Operations Phil Jackson, scored 20 points, going 9 of 25 from the field.

Kyle Korver scored 20 points for Cleveland, which is 8-1 in February and has beaten New York 10 straight times.

Courtney Lee had 25 points for New York, which has lost six of seven and is 12th in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

WARRIORS 123, CLIPPERS 113

OAKLAND, California (AP) — Stephen Curry scored 17 of his 35 points in a 3-point flurry over the final 3:37 of the third quarter, and the two-time reigning MVP also had seven rebounds, five assists and four steals as the Warriors used a big second half to beat the Los Angeles Clippers.

Curry's four-point play with 30.7 seconds left in the third and buzzer-beating 3 to punctuate the one-sided period propelled Golden State. Curry and Kevin Durant combined for eight of their team's nine 3-pointers in the third.

The Warriors scored 50 points in the quarter after trailing 61-49 at halftime. It was the NBA's first 50-point quarter since the Lakers had 51 against the Knicks on March 25, 2014.

Durant scored 15 of his 25 points in the third and also contributed 15 rebounds and seven assists as the NBA-best Warriors (48-9) began the stretch run with a downright dominant second half.

PISTONS 114, HORNETS 108, OT

AUBURN HILLS, Michigan (AP) — Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 33 points, including three 3-pointers late in the fourth quarter during a pulsating Detroit rally, and the Pistons outlasted Charlotte.

Caldwell-Pope scored Detroit's last 11 points of regulation, and his 3-pointer with 18.2 seconds to play tied the game at 100. Kemba Walker scored Charlotte's final nine points of the fourth, but the Pistons forced him to give up the ball on the last possession, and Marco Belinelli missed a 3-pointer that could have won it.

Detroit, which was behind by 18 in the third quarter, never trailed in the overtime. Caldwell-Pope's 3-pointer with 55 seconds remaining put the Pistons up 110-102.

Charlotte led 85-70 at the start of the fourth but missed 14 of its first 15 shots in the period, enabling Detroit to cut into the lead.

Walker scored 34 points. Tobias Harris had 25 for the Pistons.

TRAIL BLAZERS 112, MAGIC 103

ORLANDO, Florida (AP) — Damian Lillard scored 33 points, C.J. McCollum added 22 and Portland beat Orlando to snap a three-game losing streak.

After trailing for much of the game, the Trail Blazers rallied in the fourth quarter behind Lillard's 17 points. Recently acquired center Jusuf Nurkic also had 12 points and 12 rebounds during the much-needed win for the Portland.

The Trail Blazers spoiled Terrence Ross' debut with the Magic after being traded last week for Serge Ibaka. Ross, who is supposed to added athleticism and a scoring punch, managed just 13 points on 4-of-17 shooting with his new team.

Nikola Vucevic scored 25 points and Evan Fournier added 20 as the Magic lost for the sixth time in seven games.

KINGS 116, NUGGETS 100

SACRAMENTO, California (AP) — Willie Cauley-Stein had a career-high 29 points and 10 rebounds to help Sacramento, playing for the first time since trading DeMarcus Cousins, beat Denver.

The Kings made a blockbuster deal Sunday, trading the all-Star Cousins to New Orleans. The controversial, often petulant star spent seven seasons with the Kings, who haven't had a winning record or made the playoffs since 2005-06.

Newcomers Buddy Hield scored 16 points and Tyreke Evans had 15 for the Kings, Darren Collison had 15 points and 10 assists. Seldom-used rookie Skal Labissiere had a season-high 12 points and Ben McLemore 10.

Gary Harris made five 3-pointers and had 23 points for Denver. Wilson Chandler had 18 points and 10 rebounds, Will Barton scored 16, Danilo Gallinari had 15, and Jameer Nelson 12.