Anfernee Simons had 23 points and 11 assists, and the short-handed Portland Trail Blazers have taken advantage of James Harden's absence for a surprise 114-108 victory over the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA on Monday night.

Harden was out with a hyperextended left knee.

Kevin Durant led all scorers with 28 points and 10 rebounds for the Nets (25-14), Kyrie Irving started in his second game of the season and finished with 22 points, while Boomers captain Patty Mills only contributed one three-pointer.

Robert Covington scored 21 points, including five triples, for the Blazers (16-24), who saw all five starters reach double figures.

"Second half, they hit threes in that third quarter, they hit threes in that fourth quarter. You gotta give them credit for knocking down shots but I thought we were there, intentions were good," Durant said.

In Detroit, Cade Cunningham scored 18 of his career-high 29 points in the third quarter to help the struggling Pistons erase a 22-point deficit and beat the Utah Jazz 126-116.

Donovan Mitchell had 31 points for Utah, who were missing Australia's Joe Ingles and Rudy Gobert - both due to health and safety protocols.

"When you don't have the defensive player of the year on the floor (Gobert), you aren't going to be as good," Jazz coach Quinn Snyder said.

"But .... there's no reason for us to play as poorly as we did."

Utah (28-13) remain three games behind division co-leaders Golden State and Phoenix.

The defending champion Milwaukee Bucks were also upset on their travels, going down 103-99 to the Charlotte Hornets for the second straight night.

Terry Rozier had 27 points and LaMelo Ball scored 18 of his 23 in the second half for the Hornets (22-19).

Khris Middleton had 27 points and 11 assists and Giannis Antetokounmpo added 26 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists for the out-of-form Bucks (26-17).

"You are definitely concerned anytime you lose four out of five," Middleton said.

Aussie Matisse Thybulle played an important support role to Philadelphia star Joel Embiid in the 76ers' 111-91 win over the Rockets in Houston.

Thybulle tallied 10 points, two rebounds, two assists, and three steals while Embiid had 31 points and eight rebounds in the Sixers' seventh consecutive win.

Embiid turned in his seventh straight 30-point game and the big center is the second player in NBA history to score exactly 31 points in four straight games.

"I hold myself to that standard of trying to win and be the best, or one of the best, ever," Embiid said.

"The good thing about it is, we've been winning. To be able to win every single night, I've got to show up."

Philadelphia (23-16) have the longest winning streak in the Eastern Conference, leaving them in fifth place, and the second-longest run in the NBA behind the Memphis Grizzlies' nine-game string.

Elsewhere, the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Sacramento Kings 109-108, overtime was needed for the Boston Celtics to see off the Indiana Pacers 101-98, and the New York Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 111-96.