Last week: Beat Memphis 126-114, beat Utah 121-102, beat Atlanta 105-104 (OT), lost at Philadelphia 119-116
This week: Monday at Memphis, Wednesday at Oklahoma City, Friday at Detroit, Saturday at New York
The Indiana Pacers had their five-game winning streak ended Saturday when they lost at Philadelphia and will continue on the road for four more games this week.
Indiana’s most impressive win of the week came on Wednesday when they popped the Jazz convincingly, while the Pacers performed a great escape in overtime on Friday night against the Hawks.
The team said Friday that Edmond Sumner will not play during the five-game road trip, but will go to the G League for a conditioning assignment and could be back from his fractured hand shortly after the team returns to Indianapolis next weekend. JaKarr Sampson continues to be out with a sore back, having missed the last five games.
T.J. Warren had a strong four games for Indiana, averaging 23.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 33.4 minutes per game, shooting 60.7 percent overall while going 10-for-15 from 3-point range.
Last week: Beat Miami 117-108, beat Atlanta 158-111
This week: Tuesday at San Antonio, Thursday at Toronto, Saturday vs. Phoenix
After losing three straight games coming into last week, the Houston Rockets turned things around by avenging their worst loss of the season with a win over the Heat before setting fire to the Hawks on Saturday, hanging up 158 points — their second-highest total of the season.
The Rockets had previously dropped 159 at Washington on Oct. 30. Houston is staying afloat through a bevy of injuries, with Clint Capela and Danuel House both missing the win over Atlanta due to illness, while the team is waiting for Eric Gordon to come back from knee surgery and Nene Hilario to return from an abductor injury.
Houston will visit the Spurs and Raptors this week before returning home to play Phoenix.
James Harden continues to be just ridiculous, torching the Hawks for 60 points in just 31 minutes on Saturday, going 16-for-24 overall, 8-for-14 from deep and 20-for-23 at the foul line. In the two games last week, Harden had 94 points, 13 assists, nine rebounds, four steals and two blocks while shooting 54.3 percent overall and going 15-for-31 (48.4 percent) from 3-point range.