Westbrook hustles to another triple-double
Jazz edges Lakers with late 3-pointer
MIAMI — Russell Westbrook took a charge in the final minutes with the outcome already decided, was diving for loose balls and grabbed more defensive rebounds than any four Miami Heat players did combined. Forget the triple-double. It was everything else that had Heat coach Erik Spoelstra marveling.
Westbrook scored 29 points, grabbed 17 rebounds — all defensive — and added 11 assists for his 15th triple-double of the season as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Heat 106-94 on Tuesday night for its fourth straight win.
“He’s competing until the very end,” Spoelstra said. “Every single possession is the most important possession to him. Great, great lesson … from somebody’s that is really imposing a competitive will on every contest. He did what he does. What defines greatness is consistency, and that’s what you can book pretty much every night.”
Westbrook nearly had the triple-double by halftime, falling two rebounds shy. He got those in the first 5:21 of the third quarter.
JAZZ 102, LAKERS 100: In Los Angeles, Joe Ingles made a 3-pointer with 21.6 seconds left to lead Utah to a victory over Los Angeles, snapping a three-game losing streak. Gordon Hayward led the Jazz with 31 points and nine rebounds.
The Lakers had a final chance to win the game but D’Angelo Russell shot an airball on a 3-point attempt.
CELTICS 113, GRIZZLIES 103: In Boston, Avery Bradley scored 23 points, and Isaiah Thomas had 21 points and seven assists as Boston held off Memphis.
Gerald Green added a seasonhigh 19 points and Jae Crowder scored 17 for Boston, which won for the sixth time in seven games and beat the Grizzlies for the second time in a week. The Celtics needed overtime and a careerhigh 44 points from Thomas for a 112-109 win in Memphis last Tuesday.
Marc Gasol had 26 points and nine assists for Memphis.
ROCKETS 123, MAVERICKS 107: In Dallas, James Harden scored 34 points as Houston completed a four-game season sweep of Dallas, beating the Mavericks in a game marred by eight technical fouls.