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Russell Westbrook scored 29 points and had his 26th triple-double of the season to help the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 118-109 on Thursday night.
Westbrook added 12 rebounds and 11 assists in the 63rd triple-double of his career.
Victor Oladipo scored 23 points and Steven Adams had 20 points and 13 rebounds for the Thunder, who now can focus on their showdown with former teammate Kevin Durant and the Golden State Warriors on Saturday.
Kyrie Irving scored 28 points, LeBron James had 18 and Kevin Love added 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who had won four straight. Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue said after Wednesday’s win at Indiana that he was considering resting the three All-Stars, but they all started.
Cleveland rallied from 12 points down in the second quarter to lead 57-55 at halftime. James had 16 points at the break while Westbrook had 10 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.
Westbrook scored 11 points in the third quarter, and by the time he sat for his usual rest late in the period, the Thunder led 79-71. Oklahoma City led 86-82 at the end of the quarter, but the Cavaliers tied the game midway through the fourth.
Westbrook hit back-to-back midrange jumpers to put the Thunder up 107-101 with 3:42 left.
Rockets 107, Hornets 95: James Harden had 30 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, and Houston beat Charlotte for its third straight win. It was the 25th time Harden has scored at least 30 points. Harden was just 8-for-21 from the field and had nine turnovers, but turned up his play a notch down the stretch as the Rockets overcame a nine-point, third-quarter deficit. The Rockets forced the Hornets into a season-high 22 turnovers, leading to 27 points.
76ers 112, Magic 111: T.J. McConnell made the go-ahead jumper with 5.8 seconds remaining, Dario Saric came off the bench to score 24 points and Philadelphia beat Orlando. McConnell’s basket in the lane came after Ersan Ilyasova won the jump ball against Evan Fournier in the waning moments of a game that featured 10 lead changes and five ties before the Sixers completed their final rally.
Mavericks 112, Jazz 105 (OT): Harrison Barnes scored 31 points, including eight in overtime, and Dallas rallied from a 21-point deficit to beat Utah. Barnes’ three-point play ended an 11-0 run that began late in regulation and put Dallas ahead 107-100. Devin Harris scored the first four points of OT. Utah’s Gordon Hayward scored a season-high 36 points, but missed a 3-point attempt from the left corner as regulation ended. The Mavericks scored the final four points of regulation.
Notes: Derrick Williams will get a chance to impact the NBA champions. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2011 draft, Williams signed a 10-day contract with Cleveland, which has been looking for roster help as it defends its title. Williams was selected six years ago by Minnesota after the Cavaliers picked Kyrie Irving first. He averaged 5.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 15.1 minutes in 25 games for the Heat, who released him on Tuesday.
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