NBA Notes: Lakers, LeBron James, Rockets, Kevin Durant, Knicks

Lakers

LeBron James finished with 26 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds as the Lakers defeated the Warriors 119-103 on Thursday.

James shot 11-of-17 from the field and knocked down three 3-pointers, though he briefly exited in the third quarter after appearing to jam his hand on a block attempt. He returned and continued to control the game.

Stephen Curry did not play for Golden State, sitting out the front end of a back-to-back after recently returning from a lengthy knee injury absence. The Warriors are headed for the play-in tournament as the No. 10 seed in the West.

Deandre Ayton added 21 points and five rebounds for Los Angeles, while Jake LaRavia contributed 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists. The Lakers snapped a three-game skid and have now won four straight games at Golden State’s home arena.

Rockets

Kevin Durant scored 29 points as the Rockets extended their winning streak to eight games with a 113-102 win over the 76ers.

Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson each added 19 points for Houston, which has already secured a postseason berth and remains in the mix for home court in the first round of the playoffs.

The Rockets appeared to be in full control after building a 23-point lead through three quarters, but Philadelphia responded with a 16-0 run to cut the deficit to seven midway through the fourth.

Durant halted the momentum with a timely 3-pointer, ending a lengthy Houston scoring drought, and Aaron Holiday followed with another triple to push the lead back to double digits and seal the outcome.

Philadelphia was without Joel Embiid, who underwent an appendectomy earlier in the day.

Knicks

Josh Hart scored 15 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, and Jalen Brunson added 25 points and 10 assists as the Knicks beat the Celtics 112-106 to remain in the hunt for the No. 2 seed in the East.

New York improved to 52-28 and sits two games behind Boston with two to play. The Knicks hold the tiebreaker after winning the season series, giving them a path to the No. 2 spot with a strong finish.

Hart delivered in the closing moments, knocking down two 3-pointers in the final minute to secure the win. The victory also gives the Knicks more wins this season under head coach Mike Brown than they had in last year’s 51-win campaign.

Boston’s Jayson Tatum, playing in the arena for the first time since suffering a torn Achilles last postseason, finished just shy of a triple-double.

The Knicks host Toronto on Friday before closing the regular season Sunday vs. Charlotte, while the Celtics will face New Orleans and Orlando to wrap things up. The Knicks will need to win both and the Celtics lose both for the Knicks to take the No. 2 seed.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.