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Friday night was a busy one in the association, with 22 teams in action including a pair of Southwest Division teams. The Houston Rockets continued their recent hot streak, beating the Milwaukee Bucks 115-101. James Harden led the Rockets with 29 points as Houston turned a 11 point halftime deficit in to a 14 point victory. Carlos Delfino added 22 points off the bench, while Toney Douglas chipped in 18 points. The win was the Rockets' third in a row and eighth in their last 10 games.
That win, along with the Memphis Grizzlies' loss to the Portland Trailblazers, moved the Rockets within 2 1/2 games of Memphis in the Southwest Division standings. The 86-84 loss was a rare one at home for the Grizzlies. The Trailblazers took advantage of the absence of Zach Randolph, who was out with the flu, as LaMarcus Aldridge and J.J. Hickson combined for 34 points and 23 rebounds.
The Dallas Mavericks return to action Saturday night as they host the New Orleans Hornets. Tip-off for that game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT and can be seen on Fox Sports Southwest.