SportyTV | NBA: Leonard continues scoring tear with 45 points for streaking Clippers

Kawhi Leonard scored 45 points, James Harden added 20 and the Los Angeles Clippers recovered from blowing a 21-point lead to beat the Utah Jazz 118-101 on Thursday night, extending their winning streak to a season-best six games.

Leonard was the only Clippers starter on the floor for much of the fourth quarter. He singlehandedly matched Utah's points in the period (20), with blood on his nose from what appeared to be a scratch.

Los Angeles hit seven straight 3-pointers, with Leonard making four, to pull away. Nicolas Batum finished with 14 points and went 4 of 6 from 3-point range.

The Jazz rallied despite being without three starters. They were led by reserve Kyle Anderson with 22 points - his first 20-point game in nearly three years - and Brice Sensabaugh with 20. Anderson's eight rebounds were a season high. Cody Williams also had 18 points, while Isaiah Collier had 16 points and 10 assists.

Started the year with a W. pic.twitter.com/g7OK2AZhDt
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) January 2, 2026

Heat beat Pistons to stay hot

Norman Powell scored 36 points and Bam Abdebayo added 15 points and 14 rebounds as the Miami Heat extended their winning streak to four games with a 118-112 win over the Detroit Pistons.

Detroit trailed by 22 in the second half and was still down 114-103 with two minutes left but scored six straight points to make it a five-point game. Powell missed, and Javonte Green hit a 3-pointer to get the Pistons within two with 46.4 seconds to play.

Jaime Jaquez Jr. hit a short jumper to make it a two-possession game, though, and Ausar Thompson's turnover forced the Pistons to start fouling. Powell hit a pair of free throws – his first points of the fourth quarter – to clinch it.

Jaquez scored 19 points for the Heat and Andrew Wiggins added 17.

Cade Cunningham had 31 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds for Eastern Conference-leading Detroit, which has lost three of four.

4 in a row pic.twitter.com/lqMLjw59WB
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) January 2, 2026

Durant keeps Rockets streaking

Kevin Durant had 22 points and a season-high 11 assists, Amen Thompson scored 23 points and the Houston Rockets beat the Brooklyn Nets 120-96 for their fourth straight victory.

Alperen Şengün had 20 points, six rebounds and six assists after a two-game absence for the Rockets, who started fast in both halves to win in Brooklyn for the first time in seven years. Tari Eason finished with 15 points and nine rebounds, and Jabari Smith Jr. and Reed Sheppard each scored 14 points.

Sengun was 8 for 12 from the floor after sitting out two games with a left calf injury.

Cam Thomas scored 21 points for the Nets, who dropped their second straight after winning three in a row for the only time this season.

Michael Porter Jr., who leads the Nets with a career-high 25.8 points per game, missed the game with an illness along with injured starting guards Egor Demin and Terance Mann. Without them, Brooklyn never led in its first home loss to Houston since Nov. 2, 2018, after winning the last six.