Westbrook sets triple-double mark
Cavs hand Knicks club-record 17th straight loss
OKLAHOMA CITY: Paul George had a 47point triple-double, and Russell Westbrook set an NBA record for consecutive tripledoubles as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the visiting Portland Trail Blazers 120-111 on Monday night. George’s 3-pointer with 3:52 to play came on the 10th assist by Westbrook, who clinched his 10th consecutive triple-double. Westbrook finished with 21 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists. Wilt Chamberlain had nine consecutive tripledoubles in 1968. George, who contributed 12 rebounds and 10 assists, has scored 92 points over the last two games. The win was the fourth consecutive and 11th in 12 games for the Thunder. The Trail Blazers took their third loss in four games despite getting 31 points from Damian Lillard.
ROCKETS 120, MAVERICKS 104
Hampered by a strained left shoulder, James Harden nearly had his streak of consecutive 30-point games end before coming alive down the stretch as host Houston defeated Dallas. Harden finished with a game-high 31 points on 9-for-23 shooting and rounded out his stat line with eight rebounds, seven assists and five steals. The Rockets relied on a collective effort to build a lead against Dallas, with four others scoring in double figures, including guard Gerald Green, who poured in 19 points in 22 minutes off the bench. Luka Doncic posted 21 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists to pace the Mavericks.
CAVALIERS 107, KNICKS 104
New York saw its late comeback bid fall short at Cleveland and took its 17th straight defeat-the longest single-season losing streak in franchise history. The Knicks lost 16 straight during the 2014-15 season. Kadeem Allen scored a career-high 25 points off the bench for the Knicks, who trailed wire to wire but had chances to tie the score or take the lead in the final minute. Collin Sexton scored a team-high 20 points for the Cavaliers while Larry Nance Jr. registered 15 points and 16 rebounds.
NUGGETS 103, HEAT 87
Nikola Jokic had 23 points and 12 rebounds, Malik Beasley got hot in the fourth quarter and finished with 23 points, and host Denver beat Miami. Monte Morris scored 17 points, and Paul Millsap had nine points and 10 rebounds in his return to the lineup for the Nuggets, who ended a three-game losing streak. Millsap played 20 minutes off the bench after missing the previous three games due to ankle soreness. Justise Winslow had 15 points, and James Johnson scored 14 for the Heat.
BUCKS 112, BULLS 99
Giannis Antetokounmpo returned from a one-game rest to score a game-high 29 points, leading Milwaukee to a victory at Chicago. Antetokounmpo produced his fifth straight game with 29 or more points, a stretch during which he has averaged 33.6 points per game. Eric Bledsoe (19 points) also helped the Bucks win their six straight on the road. Zach LaVine had 27 points for the Bulls, who lost their 11th consecutive home game.
TIMBERWOLVES 130, CLIPPERS 120
Karl-Anthony Towns had 24 points and 10 rebounds, and Minnesota ended a fourgame losing streak with a win over Los Angeles in Minneapolis. Minnesota’s Derrick Rose returned after missing the past three games with an ankle injury and scored 22 points off the bench. The Timberwolves’ Andrew Wiggins sat out due to an illness. Lou Williams scored a season-high 45 points off the bench, including 21 in the fourth quarter for the Clippers, who went 3-3 on their six-game road trip.
RAPTORS 127, NETS 125
Kawhi Leonard banked in the go-ahead field goal with 4.2 seconds, and he finished with 30 points and eight assists to help Toronto beat visiting Brooklyn. Marc Gasol added 16 points — 11 in the fourth quarter-for the Raptors, who have won five in a row. Toronto’s Serge Ibaka added 18 points and 12 rebounds. D’Angelo Russell had 28 points and 14 assists for the Nets.— Reuters