There were 10 games in the NBA on Wednesday night, delivering some historic, pulsating and downright thrilling basketball action. Man-of- the-moment Russell Westbrook was smashing records and leading the way for the Thunder while the Warriors stamped their authority on the Western Conference.
History-maker Westbrook sinks Magic in OT
The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Magic 114-106 in overtime in Orlando as Russell Westbrook fired once more. The leading MVP candidate again rewrote the history books as he scored 57 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and dished 11 assists for his 38th triple-double of the season. His 57 points are now the most-ever scored in a triple-double in NBA history. The Thunder victory also booked their spot in the playoffs. Nigerian-American guard Victor Oladipo had 13 points on his first return to Orlando after his trade last June. Enes Kanter added 17 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.
Algerian-French guard Evan Fournier finished with 24 points and Terrence Ross added 23 for the Magic. DRC-born center Bismack Biyombo recorded a double-double off the bench with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Warriors come back to stun Spurs
The Golden State Warriors overcame a massive 22-point deficit to stun the San Antonio Spurs and win 110-98 in Texas. The Warriors had an extremely slow start to the game but found their rhythm late on. Stephen Curry ended the contest with a double-double, scoring 29 points and passing 11 assists. Klay Thompson weighed in with 23 points and David West had a superb night against his former team with 15 points, five assists, four rebounds and two blocks off the bench.
The Spurs were lead by Kawhi Leonard who scored 19 points, pulled down seven boards and dished five assists. Pau Gasol scored 18 points as a substitute, also claiming eight rebounds and five assists. LaMarcus Aldridge scored 17 points and Danny Green finished with 16 points of his own.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bucks stun Celtics
The Milwaukee Bucks continued their charge toward the playoffs with a hugely impressive 103-100 victory over the Celtics in Boston. The Celtics were the top team in the Eastern Conference but dropped back behind the Cleveland Cavaliers after the defeat. Giannis Antetokounmpo was influential throughout: he scored 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Khris Middleton ended the game with 19 points while Gregg Monroe and Malcolm Brogdon both scored 16 points each with rookie Brogdon scoring the final basket of the contest. South Sudanese-Australian Thon Maker scored four points, grabbed two boards and blocked two shots.
Isaiah Thomas, the Celtics talisman, top scored with 32 points in the loss. Jae Crowder scored 13 points, Avery Bradley had a double-double 12 points and 10 rebounds and Al Horford and Marcus Smart combined for 22 points, both scoring 11 apiece with Smart also pulling down 11 rebounds.
Clippers shoot down Wizards
The LA Clippers outlasted the Washington Wizards as they clinched a 133-124 victory over the team from the US capital in Los Angeles. JJ Redick was the key contributor for the Clippers as he scored a team-high 31 points, going 7-of-11 from 3-point range. Chris Paul ended the contest with a 27-point, 13-assist double-double. Both DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin also doubled up, Griffin contributing 26 points and 10 rebounds and Jordan weighed in with 23 points and 18 boards. Cameroonian Luc Mbah a Moute scored five points.
The Wizards saw another stellar performance from John Wall who had the game’s high score, 41 points. Wall also dished eight assists and claimed seven rebounds. Bradley Beal scored 17 points and Markieff Morris and Jason Smith combined for 28 points, both scoring 14.
The Rest
In other results from around the league, the Atlanta Hawks beat the Philadelphia 76ers 99-92, eliminating them from the playoffs. The Charlotte Hornets beat the Toronto Raptors 110-106 in Canada, the Miami Heat continued to shine as they beat the New York Knicks 105-88 and the Indian Pacers were beaten 110-97 by the Memphis Grizzlies. Anthony Davis scored 30 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and DeMarcus Cousins scored 29 points and claimed 16 rebounds as the New Orleans Pelicans beat the Dallas Mavericks 121-118. The Utah Jazz beat the Sacramento Kings 112-82 as Gordon Hayward scored 20 points on his return from injury.
By Cyrus Rogers
