SAN ANTONIO >> San Antonio point guard Tony Parker watched helplessly as the Spurs were drained emotionally and physically by four straight defeats, including a pair of crushing losses at home in triple overtime.

He saw the frustration and despair weigh on his teammates, especially longtime running mate Manu Ginobili, who was forced to play extended minutes as the team’s lone playmaker.

Parker wanted to give San Antonio a lift, and he did so in a big way.

He scored 26 points in his return from a five-game absence, igniting the Spurs to a season-high 37 assists and a 125-118 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday..

“It was a great relief for everybody (to have Parker back), and he made us play better and with more confidence,” said Ginobili, who had a season-high 10 assists.

San Antonio shot a season-high 64 percent from the field.

Tim Duncan had 21 points and 12 rebounds, Boris Diaw scored 23 points and Ginobili added 19 for the Spurs, who had lost three straight home games in overtime.

Those losses took a toll on the Spurs, even Parker, who sat out with a strained left hamstring.

“It was hard to watch,” Parker said. “A tough time, so I was just trying to bring energy and be aggressive.”

Parker showed no lingering effects from the injury that kept him out of eight of the past nine games. He played 34 minutes, shooting 11-for-18 from the field and collecting four assists.

Chris Paul had 25 points and nine assists and Blake Griffin scored 22 in the loss.

BULLS 129, RAPTORS 120

CHICAGO >> Derrick Rose scored 29 points, Jimmy Butler added 27 points and 11 rebounds, and Chicago snapped Toronto’s six-game winning streak.

Kyle Lowry scored 34 points and Jonas Valanciunas finished with 20 for Toronto.

ROCKETS 110, TRAIL BLAZERS 95

HOUSTON >> James Harden scored a season-high 44 points to help Houston cruise past Portland and snap a two-game skid.

The Trail Blazers were without leading scorer and rebounder LaMarcus Aldridge, who missed the game with an upper-respiratory illness, and had their five-game winning streak snapped. 

It was Harden’s NBA-leading third 40-point game this season, with all of them coming this month. 

Damian Lillard led Portland with 18 points.

HORNETS 110, NUGGETS 82

CHARLOTTE, N.C. >> Al Jefferson scored 22 points as Charlotte extended its winning streak to a season-high three games.

Rookie P.J. Hairston recorded his first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. 

Ty Lawson had 18 points for Denver.

HAWKS 105, MAVERICKS 102

DALLAS >> Dennis Schroder scored a career-high 22 points and Atlanta held off Dallas to win all three games on its road trip.

Monta Ellis led the Mavericks with 18 points.

JAZZ 97, GRIZZLIES 91

MEMPHIS, Tenn. >> Alec Burks scored 23 points, Gordon Hayward added 21 and Utah handed Memphis its third straight loss.

Mike Conley led Memphis with 28 points.

WARRIORS 128, KINGS 108

OAKLAND, Calif. >> Klay Thompson scored 25 points, Stephen Curry had 12 points and 11 assists, and Golden State topped Sacramento.

Golden State stretched its NBA-best record to 23-3.

DeMarcus Cousins had 22 points and eight rebounds, and Darren Collison scored 17 points for Sacramento.