NBA: James Harden to play Sunday after X-rays are negative on his right wrist

James Harden will play on Sunday night when the Houston Rockets visit the Dallas Mavericks after X-rays on his injured right wrist were negative.

Harden first injured it last Sunday in a win over Boston and aggravated it on Friday night in a fall in the first half of a victory over Philadelphia. The win extended Houston’s winning streak to a season-high seven games.

Harden leads the NBA in scoring with 36.6 points a game. He said when he fell on Friday night that he was worried the injury was worse than it was.

He says: “I was. But I’m happy it’s not.�

As for what he can do to protect his wrist, Harden says: “Just try to not fall on it. That’s the only thing I can do. Keep icing it, keep getting treatment on it. But when you keep falling on it, it keeps aggravating it and it keeps getting worse.�

Houston’s recent surge has the team in third place in the Western Conference behind Golden State and Denver. After Sunday’s trip to Dallas, the Rockets play four straight home games, highlighted by a visit from the Warriors on Wednesday night.

George fined

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Paul George was fined $25,000 by the NBA on Saturday for public criticism of the officiating. George made his comments to the media after the Thunder’s 118-110 road loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night.

“We’re getting scratched, clawed, held, shoved, and there’s nothing for it,� George said. “The officials just get to walk out and there’s nothing that penalizes them for not officiating the game the right way.�

Results

Sacramento 102, at New York 94: De’Aaron Fox had 30 points and eight assists, carrying the Kings down the stretch to a win in the opener of a four-game trip. Fox scored 12 points in the final six minutes after the Knicks had erased a 12-point lead to take a two-point lead. Buddy Hield added 19 points for the Kings, who need a strong performance during their trip to the East after entering play four games behind San Antonio for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Dennis Smith Jr. scored 18 points for the Knicks, who have lost five straight, a stretch that included a 0-3 trip to the West that featured a 115-108 loss in Sacramento on Monday.

Brooklyn 114, at Atlanta 112: Spencer Dinwiddie scored 23 points, Jarrett Allen finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds and the Nets held on for their third straight win. The Nets moved into a tie for sixth place in the Eastern Conference despite missing a staggering 21 free throws.

John Collins finished with 33 points and a career-high 20 rebounds for Atlanta, and Young had a triple-double with 23 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds.

Schedule (all times PST):

Washington at Minnesota, 5 p.m.

Boston at L.A. Lakers, 5:30 p.m.

Charlotte at Milwaukee, 6 p.m.

Phoenix at Portland, 7 p.m.