A tough day for the Houston Rockets ended with a tough NBA loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday.

In a show of support for coach Kevin McHale, Rockets team members had flown to Minnesota for the funeral of his daughter, Alexandra "Sasha" McHale, who died on Saturday after a lengthy battle with the autoimmune disease lupus.

From there they went to Oklahoma City, where the Thunder's Kevin Durant scored 37 points in a 120-98 triumph over emotionally depleted Houston.

It was a particularly rough night for James Harden, who scored 17 points on just three-of-16 shooting in his first return to Oklahoma City since he was traded to Houston in October.

Serge Ibaka added 23 points for the Thunder, who have won six of their last seven games.

Harden said it was the first time he had seen his former coaches and teammates since the trade.

"It was just good to see them, kind of laugh and joke around," he said. "You don't really realize it until you're actually in the position. Just to be warming up on the other side felt kind of weird."

Those feelings didn't improve much as the game went on, but Harden noted before the contest that in terms of the Rockets' season, the contest was no more important than any other.

"This game doesn't count for any more wins or losses," Harden said. "It's the business. You have to move on."

In other games, Boston guard Rajon Rondo's streak of NBA games with double-digit assists ended at 37 Wednesday with his ejection for fighting in the Celtics' 95-83 loss to the Brooklyn Nets.

Joe Johnson scored 18 points and Jerry Stackhouse added a spark off the bench, scoring 17 points for the Nets in the testy contest.

Rondo and Brooklyn forwards Kris Humphries and Gerald Wallace were all ejected from the game after a first-half fight.

Rondo's ejection meant his streak of games with at least 10 assists ended at 37 - tying Utah Jazz point guard John Stockton for second on the all-time list.

Former Lakers great Magic Johnson holds the record at 46 games.

The first half featured six technical fouls and a noticeable disparity in foul shots awarded.

The Nets had attempted 17 free throws to Boston's two into the closing minute of the half, when Humphries was whistled for a hard foul against Boston's Kevin Garnett.

That included an extra shove that angered both Garnett and Rondo, who steamed toward Humphries and started pushing and shoving.

Eventually Rondo was tossed, Garnett was assessed a technical foul and Humphries and Wallace both received their second technical fouls of the game - leading to the ejection of the Nets' two starting forwards.

The absence of Humphries and Wallace meant more playing time for Stackhouse, Andray Blatche and Reggie Evans.

Blatche posted 17 points with 13 rebounds and Evans answered the call with five points and 10 rebounds for Brooklyn, who have won four straight games.

AFP - Global Times