Westbrook, Thunder snap Toronto’s winning streak
Raptors coach, players ejected after late controversial calls
TORONTO — Oklahoma City coach Billy Donovan praised his team’s poise following a hard-fought road win over the streaking Raptors.
Toronto, meanwhile, found it harder to stay calm and collected after some controversial calls down the stretch.
Russell Westbrook had 37 points, 14 assists and 13 rebounds for his fifth straight triple-double, Steven Adams scored 25 points and the Thunder beat the Raptors 132-125 on Sunday, snapping Toronto’s winning streak at 11.
“You’ve got to be able to keep your composure through it all,” Westbrook said. “That’s what the game is all about. We’ve got a lot of veteran guys on this team who are able to do that.”
Paul George scored 22 points and Carmelo Anthony had 15 as the Thunder extended their winning streak to six.
“A big part of it tonight was our team’s poise,” Donavan said. “That was really important.”
DeMar DeRozan scored 24 points and Kyle Lowry fouled out with 22 points and 10 assists as the Eastern Conference-leading Raptors suffered just their sixth home loss of the season. Toronto is 29-6 at Air Canada Centre, the best home record in the NBA.
DeRozan, Serge Ibaka and Raptors coach Dwane Casey were all ejected in the final minute for complaining to the referees. DeRozan was incensed after not getting a call when he tried to drive on Corey Brewer with 30 seconds left. DeRozan picked up two technicals in
the following 22 seconds.
“He tried to smack me because I had a layup,” a visibly frustrated DeRozan said. “I got fouled.”
Having reviewed the video, Casey said the Raptors would file a formal complaint. Still, Casey took pains to point out that the Raptors, not the referees, were ultimately to blame.
“We made enough mistakes down the stretch also,” Casey said. “We shot ourselves in the foot.” ROCKETS 129, TIMBERWOLVES
120: In Minneapolis, James Harden had 34 points and 12 assists, and Houston held off a fourth-quarter rally to beat Minnesota for the Rockets’ 26th win in 28 games.
The West’s top team led by as many as 25 before the Timberwolves, holding on for dear life in a tightening playoff race, pulled within five in the fourth. The loss dropped the Wolves into the eighth playoff spot after they started the day in a three-way tie for fifth.
Harden had 11 points in the final
6:34, including a 3-pointer with 58 seconds left that effectively secured the win. Chris Paul and Clint Capela each had 16 points for the Rockets.
Jeff Teague led Minnesota with 23 points, Andrew Wiggins had 21, and Karl-Anthony Towns and Jamal Crawford each added 20.
PELICANS 108, CELTICS 89: In New Orleans, Anthony Davis had 34 points and 11 rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans beat the banged-up Boston Celtics.
Second-year pro Cheick Diallo had a season-high 17 points and Nikola Mirotic added 16 for New Orleans, which was desperate to win after dropping four of its previous five while in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race.
Davis capped his night by hitting a baseline fallaway as he was fouled by Abdel Nader to make it 106-85 with 3:35 to go. The play capped a 22-6, fourthquarter run to blow open what had been a tight game for most of the first three quarters.
Jayson Tatum scored 23 for Boston, which has lost three of four and was
playing its third straight game without either All-Star guard Kyrie Irving (sore left knee) or guard Marcus Smart (sprained right thumb). Marcus Morris scored 17 for the Celtics. TRAILBLAZERS 122, CLIPPERS 109: In Los Angeles, Damian Lillard scored 23 points and the Blazers defeated the Los Angeles Clippers for their 12th consecutive win.
CJ McCollum scored 21 points, and Jusuf Nurkic had a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds for Portland. Lou Williams scored 30 points and Montrezl Harrell added 24 for the Clippers.
GENTRY FINED: Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry has been fined $15,000 by the NBA for publicly criticizing the league’s officiating following New Orleans’ 107-101 loss to Houston on Saturday night.
Gentry, who also had been assessed a technical foul during the game, lambasted a decision to award free throws to the Rockets’ James Harden after a missed 3-pointer. Gentry claimed he saw Harden wink after the foul was called.