Russell Westbrook scored a game-high 41 points, and James Harden found redemption from a poor shooting night with two free throws with 24.3 seconds left in overtime as the Houston Rockets capped a season sweep of the host Boston Celtics with a 111-110 win Saturday.
Feb 29, 2020; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Houston Rockets guard Russell Westbrook (0) drives past Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) during the second quarter at TD Garden. Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Harden scored 21 points on just 7-of-24 shooting and committed five turnovers. But his free throws, just his second and third of the game, gave Houston the lead. The Celtics’ Jaylen Brown sank the buzzer-beating 3-pointer that forced overtime, corralling a loose ball after Jayson Tatum missed two free throws, the second one intentionally, with 5.1 seconds left and Boston trailing 104-101.
Westbrook and Harden combined for 12 rebounds and 13 assists, while Robert Covington chipped in16 points and 16 rebounds for Houston, which followed 6-for-22 3-point shooting in the first half with 7-for-15 shooting from behind the arc in the third to erase a 17-point deficit. P.J. Tucker added 13 rebounds.
Tatum paired 32 points with 13 rebounds for Boston, while Brown added 22 points. Marcus Smart scored 26 for the Celtics, who received 15 rebounds and three blocks from Daniel Theis.
Memphis Grizzlies 105 – Los Angeles Lakers 88
Ja Morant recorded 27 points and matched his career high of 14 assists, and host Memphis snapped a five-game losing streak while ending Los Angeles’ seven-game win string.
Dillon Brooks scored 24 points, and Jonas Valanciunas added 22 points and 20 rebounds for the Grizzlies, who salvaged the final of four meetings against the Lakers this season. It was the second straight 20-rebound effort for Valanciunas.
LeBron James had 19 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds for Los Angeles, which saw its seven-game winning streak come to an end. Anthony Davis had 15 points and nine rebounds, and the 88 points are a season low for the Lakers.
Atlanta Hawks 129 – Portland Trail Blazers 117
Trae Young led a balanced attack with his 26th double-double of the season and paced Atlanta to a win over visiting Portland.
Young had 25 points — including 10-for-10 from the line — and 15 assists and was one of six Atlanta players who scored in double figures. The Hawks also got 24 points and 10 rebounds from John Collins, his 19th double-double.
Portland was led by C.J. McCollum with 35 points. The Trail Blazers also got 21 points and 13 rebounds from Hassan Whiteside and 15 points from Gary Trent Jr.
New York Knicks 125 – Chicago Bulls 115
Mitchell Robinson scored 23 points, Julius Randle added 22 points and both players snagged 10 rebounds, helping host New York snap a six-game losing streak with a victory against Chicago.
New York opened a five-game homestand with its first win at Madison Square Garden since Feb. 6. The Knicks are just 9-20 at home this season.
Chicago lost for the 10th time in 11 games despite a game-high 26 points by Zach LaVine. The Bulls finished 1-8 in February to fall a season-low 20 games under .500.
Miami Heat 116 – Brooklyn Nets 113
Kendrick Nunn scored 21 points and hit a clutch 3-pointer down the stretch as Miami held on against visiting Brooklyn.
Nunn’s biggest shot of the night was a 3-pointer from the right side with one second left on the shot clock that gave Miami a 112-103 lead with 2:44 remaining.
Jimmy Butler split a pair at the line with 9.1 seconds remaining to make it 115-113, and the Nets called a timeout. Spencer Dinwiddie wound up throwing the ball into the second row after Joe Harris was late to provide a screen off an inbounds play with 1.7 seconds left. Miami secured its second straight victory when Goran Dragic hit a free throw with four-tenths of a second left.
Indiana Pacers 113 – Cleveland Cavaliers 104
T.J. Warren scored 30 points, making 14 of 20 shots from the field, as visiting Indiana defeated Cleveland. Malcolm Brogdon collected 22 points and eight assists for the Pacers, who have won five of their last six contests following a season-high six-game skid.
Indiana’s Victor Oladipo scored a season-high 19 points in his 10th game since returning from a yearlong absence from a ruptured tendon in his right knee. The Pacers’ Domantas Sabonis recorded his 46th double-double of the season with 18 points and 13 rebounds.
Cleveland’s Andre Drummond collected 27 points and 13 rebounds in his return from a two-game absence due to a left calf strain. He also had four assists and four steals.
San Antonio Spurs 114 – Orlando Magic 113
Bryn Forbes had five points in a late run and Trey Lyles scored a season-high 20 points as San Antonio outlasted visiting Orlando.
With the game tied at 111, Forbes poured in a 3-pointer with 50.5 seconds to play to put the Spurs in front 114-111. Markelle Fultz’s jumper with 40.3 seconds left brought the Magic to within one point.
Orlando’s Evan Fournier missed a jumper that could have won the game with 2.2 seconds to play, allowing the Spurs to snap a two-game slide. Fournier led the Magic with 23 points. Rudy Gay added 19 points for the Spurs.
Golden State Warriors 115 – Phoenix Suns 99
Seven of the eight Golden State players who saw action scored in double figures as the injury-riddled club rallied past host Phoenix as
Rookie reserve Eric Paschall had a game-high 25 points, and Damion Lee complemented 20 points with a game-high-tying eight assists for Golden State, which snapped an eight-game losing streak and earned a split in the four-game season series with Phoenix. The Warriors’ last three wins have all come on the road.
Devin Booker had a team-high 21 points, and Deandre Ayton 20 to go with a game-high-tying nine rebounds for the Suns, who lost both ends of a home back-to-back after falling 113-111 to Detroit on Friday.
—Field Level Media