Rockets 113, Nets 99: James Harden had 30 points and six assists as visiting Houston extended Brooklyn’s slide to six straight games.

Donatas Motiejunas had 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting and added 11 rebounds for the Rockets, who have won four in a row. Josh Smith had 13 points off the bench and Trevor Ariza scored 12 while Dwight Howard got in a scrum with Kevin Garnett and was held to eight points for Houston.

Mason Plumlee went 10-of-11 from the field en route to 24 points and added 10 rebounds while Jarrett Jack and Bojan Bogdanovic each scored 13 for the Nets. Garnett was ejected for a head-butt of Howard in the first quarter and Brook Lopez finished with 12 points and six boards off the bench while absorbing some of the extra minutes for Brooklyn.

Harden hit the technical free throw to start a run of six straight points following Garnett’s ejection and converted a three-point play closing the first quarter to put the Rockets up 37-28. The Nets got the deficit down to two points with 2:34 left in the first half but Harden’s 3-pointer sent Houston into the break up 60-52.

Harden’s 3-pointer with 34 seconds remaining in the third spread the gap to 86-68 before the Rockets settled for a 16-point cushion beginning the fourth. Jason Terry nailed a 3-pointer to make it 97-74 as Houston coasted the rest of the way.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Garnett and Howard exchanged light shoves before Garnett threw the ball off Howard’s back. Howard turned around and Garnett took a step forward and delivered the head-butt, earning himself a double-technical foul and ejection just over four minutes into the game. … Plumlee’s 15 first-half points marked the most points scored in any half in his career. … Harden is the first player this season to reach the 30-point plateau against the Nets.