HARDEN, ROCKETS TOP WESTBROOK, THUNDER 137-125
houston» Lou Williams scored 31 points off the bench, James Harden finished with 22 points and 12 assists, and the Rockets never trailed while cruising to a 137-125 victory over the Thunder on Sunday.
Russell Westbrook had 39 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists for his second straight tripledouble and his 36th this season — five shy from breaking Oscar Robertson’s NBA season record — but Harden led the Rockets to a 25-point lead through three quarters in a matchup of league MVP candidates.
Trevor Ariza and Eric Gordon added 24 points apiece for the Rockets, whose lead was trimmed to eight on a 3-pointer by Westbrook with about 90 seconds left. The Rockets scored four quick points after that to secure their victory.
SUNDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS
Damian Lillard scored 22 points and the Trail Blazers beat the Lakers 97-81 to pull even with Denver in the race for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Both the Nuggets and Blazers are 35-38 with nine games left in the regular season. They play each other Tuesday in Portland. … Klay Thompson scored 21 of his 31 points in the second half and the Warriors pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat the Grizzlies 106-94 for their seventh straight win. Stephen Curry added 21 points and 11 assists. … Willie Cauley-Stein made a follow shot with two seconds left and the Kings rallied from an 18-point, fourthquarter deficit to beat the Clippers 98-97. After Jamal Crawford missed a 3-pointer, CauleyStein finished off a fast break with the deciding basket. … Kemba Walker had 31 points and nine assists, and the Hornets handed the Suns their eighth straight loss with a 120-106 victory. … Brook Lopez scored 23 points as the Nets beat the Hawks 107-92, handing Atlanta its seventh straight loss. … Nikola Mirotic tied a season high with 28 points, Jimmy Butler had 20 points and a career-high 14 assists, and the Bulls pulled away in the second half for a 109-94 victory over the Bucks .… Isaiah Thomas scored 30 points, including 20 in the second half, and the Celtics beat the Heat 112-108 for their fourth straight victory. … Myles Turner had 17 points and 16 rebounds, Paul George scored 21 points, and the Pacers beat the 76ers 107-94.