Thunder hold on for win

Russell Westbrook scored 32 points, and the host Oklahoma City Thunder held off the Houston Rockets 115-113 on Friday night to cut their deficit to 2-1 in the first-round Western Conference playoff series.

James Harden scored 44 points for Houston, but he missed a three-point shot that could have won the game just before time expired.

“We were down two, so I just wanted to get the best shot available, honestly,” Harden said. “I didn’t try to overthink it or whatnot.”

Westbrook added 13 rebounds and 11 assists. It was his second straight triple-double and the seventh of his playoff career. Taj Gibson added 20 points for the Thunder, who shot 55 percent from the field.

The Thunder blew a doubledigit lead in the second half of Game 2, and the Rockets nearly overcame a similar deficit again Friday. Instead, Oklahoma City will host Game 4 on Sunday in a much better position.

Celtics 104, Bulls 87: With point guard Rajon Rondo out indefinitely with a broken right thumb, the Bulls’ offense didn’t click the way it had been and top-seeded Boston won in Chicago after dropping the first two games of the Eastern Conference series at home.

Chicago shot 39.3 percent and committed 18 turnovers.

Al Horford had 18 points and eight rebounds, and Isaiah Thomas scored 16 points after spending time with his family in Tacoma, Wash., grieving the death of his sister in a car accident before the start of the series.

The Celtics pulled away after a 20-point lead shrunk to one early in the third quarter and put themselves in position to tie the series in Game 4 on Sunday in Chicago. Clippers 111, Jazz 106: After Utah led most of the game, Chris Paul took over in the fourth quarter and powered a 15-0 run to rally Los Angeles to a road win and a 2-1 lead in the West series.

Gordon Hayward scored 40 points for Utah.

Chris Paul finished with 34 for the Clippers, who played without the injured Blake Griffin in the second half.

Game 4 is Sunday in Salt Lake City.