Malik Beasley, Nikola Jokic lead Nuggets past Rockets

Denver’s Nikola Jokic had 31 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists, Malik Beasley had a career-high 35 points and the host Nuggets beat the Rockets 136-122 on Friday night.

Houston’s James Harden scored 30 points to extend his streak to 25 games of scoring 30 or more points. He needed a late 3-pointer to keep the streak alive, and it came well after the game was in hand for Denver.

The Nuggets couldn’t stop Harden, but they ended a nine-game losing streak against Houston.

Harden’s streak started with a 50-point night against the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 13, and nearly ended on a tough shooting night for the reigning league MVP. He was 5-for-6 with 15 points in the first quarter but then went cold.