Westbrook’s perfect triple-double leads OKC
Celtics down Pacers, move to within a game of slumping Cavs atop • East Jazz edge Knicks
Russell Westbrook recorded his 35th triple-double of the season to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 122-97 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night.
Westbrook scored 18 points – going 6-of-6 from the field and 6-of-6 from the free-throw line – in only 27 minutes. He also recorded 14 assists and 11 rebounds. Westbrook didn’t attempt a three-pointer for the first time since March 14, 2016, a span of 83 games.
He also became the first player in NBA history to record a triple-double while going perfect from the floor and the free throw line.
Oklahoma City’s Enes Kanter wasn’t perfect from the field, but he was close. He scored 24 points on 8-of-9 shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds off the bench. Victor Oladipo scored 18 points for the Thunder.
The 76ers were paced by Nik Stauskas, who came off the bench to score 20 points.
Celtics 109, Pacers 100
Playing its first game after clinching a playoff spot, Boston scored 39 points in the third quarter on the way to its 12th win in its past 13 home games.
The Celtics led by 17 points two minutes into the fourth quarter before the Pacers used a 10-0 run that grew to 13-2 to get as close as six. Indiana went cold and could get no closer.
Isaiah Thomas scored 25 points and dished out five assists, and Avery Bradley had 18 points and eight rebounds for Boston. Al Horford had 15 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, Jae Crowder recorded 15 points and six boards, and Kelly Olynyk registered 11 points and eight boards for the Celtics.
Nuggets 126, Cavaliers 113
Gary Harris scored 21 points and Will Barton had 20 as Denver beat Cleveland.
Nikola Jokic recorded 16 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, and Wilson Chandler returned from missing four games to score 18 for Denver. Kenneth Faried had his best game after missing nine with back spasms, finishing with 17 points and nine rebounds in 19 minutes.
Kyrie Irving led Cleveland with 33 points, LeBron James scored 18 and Deron Williams had 19 off the bench. The Cavaliers’ lead over Boston for the best record in the Eastern Conference is down to one game as they fell to 4-6 over the last 10 games.
Bulls 117, Pistons 95
Chicago didn’t have its top two centers, but the Bulls kept their playoff hopes alive with a victory over visiting Detroit.
Paced by Nikola Mirotic’s 28 points, the Bulls pulled even with the Pistons for ninth in the Eastern Conference. Both teams are 1½ game behind the Miami Heat for the conference’s eighth and final playoff spot.
Chicago didn’t have starting center Robin Lopez, who served a one-game suspension for a fight Tuesday with Toronto Raptors forward Serge Ibaka. The Bulls were also without his main backup, Cristiano Felicio, who injured his back against the Raptors.
Wizards 104, Hawks 100
Bradley Beal scored 28 points, and John Wall had all 22 of his points in the second half as Washington snapped a two-game losing streak with a win over Atlanta.
Wall missed all eight of his field-goal attempts in the first half and finished 6-of21, but the All-Star scored 12 points in the third quarter and hit two free throws with five seconds remaining to seal the win. He finished with 10 assists for the Wizards.
Tim Hardaway Jr. had 29 points and Dennis Schroder 18 for the Hawks, who have lost five straight. Dwight Howard finished with 14 points and 16 rebounds
Bucks 116, Kings 98
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 22 of his 32 points during an explosive first half, and Milwaukee completed its most victorious road trip in nearly three decades with a conquest of Sacramento.
Antetokounmpo canned 12-of-22 shots, including 9-of-13 before intermission to lead the Bucks to a 19-point halftime lead en route to their fourth victory in six games on their longest trip of the season. It was the first time Milwaukee won four games on a single trip since January 1989.
Buddy Hield scored 21 points to pace the Kings, but Sacramento lost its third straight and fell to 3-11 since the AllStar break.
Jazz 108, Knicks 101
Rudy Gobert scored a career-high 35 points on a career-best 13-of-14 shooting as Utah snapped a three-game losing streak by beating New York.
Gobert added 13 rebounds and blocked four shots, recording his 50th double-double of the season. Gordon Hayward chipped in 19 points, and George Hill added 15.
Kristaps Porzingis scored 24 points, Derrick Rose 17 and Carmelo Anthony 16 for the Knicks, who were dealt their eighth loss in the past 10 games.