NBA: Kemba Walker scores 39 points in Celtics' win over Nets; James Harden, Russell Westbrook shine in Rockets' victory

Boston: Kemba Walker returned from a neck injury to score a season-high 39 points — to the delight of the crowd that came to taunt the person he replaced — and Boston beat the Brooklyn Nets 121-110 on Wednesday on a night the fans seemed more interested in taunting former Celtics guard Kyrie Irving. Missing one game after leaving the court on a stretcher wearing a neck brace following a head-to-torso collision with Semi Ojeleye, Walker had 13 points in the third quarter, when Boston scored nine straight to turn a one-point deficit into a 91-83 lead. Jaylen Brown added 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Jayson Tatum had 16 points and nine boards to help the Celtic improved to 7-0 at home. [caption id=“attachment_7711251” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Boston Celtics’ Kemba Walker (L) drives past Brooklyn Nets’ Jarrett Allen during the NBA basketball game in Boston. AP[/caption] Garrett Temple scored 22 points, and Joe Harris had 21 for Brooklyn, which made a season-high 21 of the 56 3-point shots it attempted. Jarrett Allen had 17 points and 14 rebounds, and Spencer Dinwiddie had 16 points and 11 assists. Brooklyn led 83-82 with just over 3 minutes left in the third when the Celtics scored the next nine points before Temple made a 3 to close out the third quarter. Boston led 104-101 in the fourth before scoring 17 of the next 24 points — nine of them from Walker, The crowd might have bought tickets to heckle Irving on his return, but earlier in the week it was reported that he wouldn’t play in the game. Irving did not make the trip, but that didn’t slow down the fans who came to let him know how they feel. Rockets 117, Heat 108 James Harden scored 34 points, Russell Westbrook had 27 and Houston beat Miami to end a three-game skid, Houston led by double digits for most of this one after the Heat used a 46-point first quarter in a 129-100 rout 3 November  in the first meeting between the teams this season. Danuel House added 23 points, and Westbrook had nine rebounds and seven assists. Tyler Herro led Miami with 22 points, and Kelly Olynyk had 19 with leading scorer Jimmy Butler out with an illness. 76ers 97, Kings 91 Joel Embiid rebounded from the worst game of his career with 33 points and 16 rebounds to lead Philadelphia past Sacramento. Embiid was scoreless Monday night in a 101-96 loss at Toronto. In 32 minutes against the Raptors, the star big man went 0 for 11 from the field, including 0-for-4 from the arc and missed all three of his free throws. Against the Kings, he scored the first points of the game with an emphatic dunk 23 seconds in and had some key points late in the game to help Philadelphia improve to 8-0 at home. He finished 10 of 19 from the field and 12 of 14 from the free-throw line. Philadelphia rookie Matisse Thybulle had a career-high 15 points, all in the second half. Buddy Hield scored 22 points for the Kings. They were 1-3 on a four-game trip. Bucks 111, Hawks 102 Giannis Antetokounmpo had 30 points and 10 rebounds, Khris Middleton scored 16 points in his return from injury and Milwaukee won its ninth straight game. Middleton, who had been out since Nov. 10 with a thigh contusion, didn’t start and played 20 minutes. Former Bucks forward Jabari Parker scored a season-high 33 points for the Hawks and added 14 rebounds. Trae Young scored 29 points as Atlanta fell to 4-14 with its eighth straight loss. Clippers 121, Grizzlies 119 Montrezl Harrell tipped in Lou Williams’ miss with 2.3 seconds left and Los Angeles extended its winning streak to seven games. Memphis had one more chance to tie or take the lead, but Jaren Jackson Jr.’s 3-point attempt from the right corner was blocked by Maurice Harkless. Harrell and Williams led the Clippers with 24 points each, and Paul George added 22. Williams also had 13 assists, and Harrell grabbed 10 rebounds. Playing the second night of a back-to-back on the road, Los Angeles forward Kawhi Leonard took the night off to with “injury management” on his left knee. Jonas Valanciunas had 30 points and 16 rebounds for Memphis, both season highs for the center. Raptors 126, Knicks 98 Pascal Siakam scored 31 points, OG Anunoby had 13 points and a career-high 12 rebounds and Toronto beat New York for its franchise-record eighth straight home victory to begin the season. Fred VanVleet and Terence Davis each scored 15 points to help the Raptors set an NBA record with their 33rd straight home victory over an Atlantic Division opponent. Julius Randle scored 19 points and Canadian rookie RJ Barrett had 16 for the Knicks. Pacers 121, Jazz 102 Domantas Sabonis and T.J. Warren each scored 23 points and Malcolm Brogdon added 22 to help Indiana beat Utah for its fourth straight victory. Sabonis also had 12 rebounds. Bojan Bogdanovic had 30 points in his first trip back to Indiana since leaving the team as a free agent last summer. Donovan Mitchell added 26 points, and Rudy Gobert had 14 points and 13 rebounds after missing the previous two games with a sprained left ankle. Wizards 140, Suns 132 Bradley Beal scored 35 points, Thomas Bryant added 23 and Washington held on to beat Phoenix. Washington bounced back from a 13-point loss at Denver a night earlier by shooting 57% from the field and making 19 of 35 3-pointers. Devin Booker led the Suns with 27 points. Phoenix fell below .500 — at 8-9 — for the first time this season. Hornets 102, Pistons 101 Bismack Biyombo scored 19 points, Devonte Graham had 16 points and a career-high 15 assists and Charlotte beat Detroit for the eighth straight time. Rookie P.J. Washington added 17 points to help the Hornets end a five-game losing streak. Blake Griffin scored 26 points for Detroit. Timberwolves 113, Spurs 101 Andrew Wiggins scored 26 points, Karl-Anthony Towns had 23 points and 14 rebounds and Minnesota snapped an 11-game skid in San Antonio. The Timberwolves overcame a charge fueled in large part by second-year player Lonnie Walker IV to hand the Spurs their fifth straight home loss. San Antonio has lost two straight and 12 of 14 overall. LaMarcus Aldridge had 22 points and DeMar DeRozan added 20 for the Spurs. Magic 116, Cavaliers 104 Evan Fournier scored a season-high 30 points and short-handed Orlando won on the road for first time this season. Terrence Ross and Jonathan Isaac each scored 16 points for Orlando. Collin Sexton scored 20 points scored 20 points for Cleveland. The Cavaliers have lost eight of nine.