The Houston Rockets are still searching for their first win of the season after suffering a comprehensive 109-89 loss to the Miami Heat in NBA action on Sunday.

James Harden and the Rockets were within touching distance of the NBA Finals last term, only coming unstuck against eventual champions the Golden State Warriors.

But the Rockets look anything but the team that made it to the Western Conference Finals after falling to 0-3 this season.

The Rockets, who led 63-44 in the first half, were overrun after the interval as the Miami franchise outscored Houston by 41 points in the final 23 minutes.

"You can't have a stagnant offense and not get stops," said Harden, who was limited to 16 points and seven assists.

"That's a sign of disaster, which happened in the second half."

Marcus Thornton led the Rockets with 21 points.

The Heat were inspired by Hassan Whiteside's double-double, which consisted of 25 points and 15 rebounds, and Dwyane Wade contributed 20 points.

While the Rockets continue to struggle, the Oklahoma City Thunder are flying high at the other end of the spectrum.

The Thunder preserved their perfect record with a 117-93 win at home to the Denver Nuggets.

Kevin Durant top-scored with 25 points for the Thunder, who have started the season 3-0 for the first time since 2011-12.

The San Antonio Spurs held on to beat the Boston Celtics 95-87.

Led by Avery Bradley's 18 points, the Celtics closed to within four points of the Spurs on three occasions during the final four minutes.

However, Kawhi Leonard (19 points) and Tony Parker (six) saw the Spurs to victory.

LaMarcus Aldridge was the star of the show for the Spurs, finishing with 24 points and 14 rebounds, while veteran Tim Duncan reached 26,000 career points.

In other results, the Chicago Bulls condemned the winless Orlando Magic to a 92-87 defeat.

Dirk Nowitzki inspired the Dallas Mavericks to a 103-93 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Toronto Raptors defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 106-87 and the Atlanta Hawks edged the Charlotte Hornets 94-92.