ORLANDO, Florida (AP) — Jalen Green scored 26 points, Alperen Sengun had 22 points and 12 rebounds, and the Houston Rockets extended their winning streak to a season-best eight games, beating the Orlando Magic, 116-108, on Wednesday night, March 19.

Fred VanVleet added 19 points for the Rockets, who maintained their second-place position in the Western Conference, ahead of — among others — the surging Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors.

Paolo Banchero led Orlando with 31 points. Franz Wagner added 20 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Magic, and reserve Goga Bitadze had 19 points and eight rebounds.

Rockets: Their streak included a six-game homestand. This was only their second road win since Jan. 28.

Magic: After nine losses in 13 games and six straight defeats at home, the Magic stand eighth in the East. Banchero has averaged 33 points over the last four games.

Green and VanVleet made 3-pointers to open and close a 12-0 run late in the third quarter that left the Rockets with an 80-65 lead.

Meanwhile, Luka Doncic had 31 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in just three quarters of work, and the Los Angeles Lakers routed the Denver Nuggets, 120-108, in a matchup of injury-depleted Western Conference contenders.

Nikola Jokic (elbow) and Jamal Murray (ankle) missed their second straight games for Denver, while LeBron James (hamstring) and Rui Hachimura (knee) continued their longer-term absences for Los Angeles.

Austin Reaves had 22 points and eight assists for the Lakers, who have won nine consecutive home games and three straight since finishing their 0-4 road trip last Friday with a loss at Denver.

Aaron Gordon scored 26 points for the Nuggets.

The Lakers scored a season-high 46 points in the first quarter led by Doncic, who scorched Denver for 21 points in his highest-scoring quarter of the season. He missed the Lakers’ 131-126 loss to Denver last Friday, when the Lakers nearly won without him and James.

In Arizona, Devin Booker scored 41 points, including 20 in the fourth quarter, and the Phoenix Suns held off the Chicago Bulls, 127-121.

Kevin Durant had 26 points and eight assists and Nick Richards had 18 points, nine rebounds and three blocks as the Suns won for the third time in their last four games.

Coby White and Nikola Vucevic led the Bulls with 24 points each and Josh Giddey had 22.

Earlier, Deni Avdija had 31 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists to lead the Portland Trail Blazers to a 115-99 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

Anfernee Simons added 22 points for the Blazers, who led by 21 in the third quarter and never trailed while Desmond Bane led the Grizzlies with 20 points.

In Miami, Cade Cunningham banked in a 3-pointer with less than a second remaining, giving the Detroit Pistons a 116-113 win over Miami and sending the Heat to their ninth consecutive loss.

Cunningham had his ninth triple-double of the season — 25 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists for the Pistons, who trailed for most of the second half and never led by more than two until the final second.