Nets win consecutive games for 1st time since November with 110-98 victory over Rockets

HOUSTON (AP) — Ziaire Williams had 21 points, D’Angelo Russell added 18 and the Brooklyn Nets won consecutive games for the first time since November with a 110-98 victory over the short-handed Houston Rockets on Saturday night.

The Nets, who beat Charlotte on Wednesday night, won two games in a row for the first time since a three-game winning streak from Nov. 24-27.

The Rockets were playing without Alperen Sengun, who missed a second straight game with a bruised calf, and lost Fred VanVleet to an ankle injury in the second quarter.

Brooklyn led by double digits for most of the night and used a big run early in the third quarter to push its advantage to 18 and cruise to the win.

Jalen Green had 29 to lead the Rockets, who lost a second straight after winning their previous four games.

Nets: Brooklyn used a balanced scoring attack to get the win with all five starters scoring at least 13 points.

Rockets: Houston’s offense struggled without Sengun and VanVleet, who are second and third on the team by averaging 19.1 and 14.9 points a game. VanVleet had three points before leaving with the injury.

The Nets were up by nine early in the third quarter before using a 11-2 run, with 3-pointers from Williams and Keon Johnson, to make it 66-48 with 7 1/2 minutes left in the quarter.

Houston’s Amen Thompson and Dillon Brooks combined to make just 11 of 30 shots.

Houston begins a four-game road trip against the New York Knicks on Monday night before playing the Nets again Tuesday night in Brooklyn's next game.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) shoots against Brooklyn Nets forward Ziaire Williams (8) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Houston, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) loses control of the ball while defended by Brooklyn Nets center Day'Ron Sharpe (20) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Houston, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Brooklyn Nets forward Ziaire Williams (8) shoots against Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Houston, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Brooklyn Nets guard Keon Johnson (45) reaches for a loose ball while defended by Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Houston, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks (9) defends against Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons (10) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Houston, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) passes against Brooklyn Nets forward Ziaire Williams (8) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Houston, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Brooklyn Nets forward Ziaire Williams (8) dunks during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Houston Rockets in Houston, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

BANGKOK (AP) — Thai officials said Wednesday they seized 238 tons of illegally imported electronic waste from the United States at the port of Bangkok, one of the biggest lots they've found this year.

The waste, which came in 10 large containers, was declared as mixed metal scrap but turned out to be circuit boards mixed in a huge pile of metal scrap, said Theeraj Athanavanich, director-general of the Customs Department. It was found Tuesday in a random inspection.

A U.N. report last year said electronic waste is piling up worldwide. Some 62 million tons of electronic waste was generated in 2022 and that figure is on track to reach 82 million tons by 2030, the report said. It said only 22% of the waste was properly collected and recycled in 2022 and that quantity is expected to fall to 20% by the end of the decade due to higher consumption, limited repair options, shorter product life cycles, and inadequate management infrastructure.

Theeraj said Thai authorities are looking to press charges including falsely declaring imported goods, illegally importing electronic waste and planning to return the waste to its country of origin.

“It’s important that we take action on this kind of goods,” he said. “There are environmental impacts that are dangerous to the people, especially communities around factories that might import these things for processing, then recycling.”

Electronic waste creates huge health hazards. Many components are laden with lead and mercury, cadmium and other toxins. Recyclers are after gold, silver, palladium and copper, mainly from printed circuit boards, but lax controls mean that facilities often burn plastics to release encased copper and use unsafe methods to extract precious metals.

Thailand passed a ban on the import of a range of electronic waste products in 2020. The Cabinet in February approved an expanded list of the banned waste.

Sunthron Kewsawang, deputy director-general of the Department of Industrial Works, said officials suspected at least two factories in Samut Sakhon province, which borders Bangkok, are involved in importing the waste.

In January, the Customs Department said it seized 256 tons of illegally imported electronic waste from Japan and Hong Kong at a port in eastern Thailand.

A Thai official shows samples of illegally imported electronic waste from the United States which they said they seized at Bangkok Port during a press conference in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Thai officials display samples of illegally imported electronic waste from the United States which they said they seized at Bangkok Port during a press conference in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Thai officials show samples of illegally imported electronic waste from the United States which they said they seized at Bangkok Port during a press conference in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

A Thai official shows a sample of illegally imported electronic waste from the United States which they said they seized at Bangkok Port during a press conference in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)