James Harden's late rally helps Nets down Pistons

Detroit edged out for third defeat in a row

Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden is defended by Detroit Pistons forward Saddiq Bey. AP

James Harden broke a 106-106 tie late in the fourth quarter to help the Brooklyn Nets see off the Detroit Pistons 113-111.

Harden made a two-pointer and followed up with a free throw to complete a 44-point haul on the night, while Blake Griffin added 17 in a return to Michigan after leaving for New York earlier this month.

The Nets sit 1.5 games behind the Philadelphia 76ers in the Atlantic Division, while the loss was Detroit's third in a row.

Harden's old team, the Houston Rockets, failed to score in the last 7:30 of the game as the Minnesota Timberwolves notched up 22 unanswered points to win 107-101.

Houston has drummed up an impressive lead by the time DJ Augustin made a jump shot but Minnesota pulled back from a 101-85 deficit to steal the win, with Karl Anthony-Towns scoring 29.

The Milwaukee Bucks tasted defeat for the first time in nine as the Boston Celtics recorded a 122-114 win.

Jayson Tatum top scored with 34 points, while Giannis Antetokounmpo was restricted to just 16 for the Bucks.

Elsewhere, the Utah Jazz saw off the Memphis Grizzlies 117-114, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 100-86, and the Golden State Warriors were downed by the Atlanta Hawks 124-108.

Kristaps Porzingis' 31 points and 18 rebounds were not enough as the Dallas Mavericks fell to the Indiana Pacers 109-94, 37 points from Nikola Jokic helped the Denver Nuggets to a 113-108 win over the New Orleans Pelicans and the Portland Trail Blazers saw off the Orlando Magic 112-105.

The night's other games included the Charlotte Hornets holding on for a 110-105 victory over the Miami Heat and the Phoenix Suns edging out the Toronto Raptors 104-100.