Russell Westbrook delivered a game-high 41 points as the Houston Rockets defeated the Boston Celtics 111-110 in overtime to cap a season sweep on Saturday.
James Harden, who made just seven of 31 baskets and had five turnovers, gained a small measure of redemption from his poor shooting night by making two late free throws.
Harden’s free throws gave Houston the lead and then the Rockets defense took over, forcing Boston’s Jaylen Brown to miss his late shot to clinch the victory.
Photo: AFP
Harden finished with 21 points after being double-teamed most of the night. Robert Covington had a double-double with 16 points and 16 rebounds for Houston, who won their sixth straight.
“We had a lot of attention on James Harden,” Celtics guard Brown said. “We forgot about the other MVP over there.”
Jayson Tatum finished with 32 points and 13 rebounds, while Brown added 22 points for the Celtics. Marcus Smart scored 26 points and Daniel Theis tallied 15 rebounds and three blocks.
Brown hit the buzzer-beating three-pointer that forced overtime. He grabbed a loose ball after Tatum missed two free throws with five seconds left and Boston trailing 104-101.
“I thought the right team won,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. “I thought they were better than us — not by much, but at least by one.”
Elsewhere, the Memphis Grizzlies, clinging to the eighth and final playoff spot in the NBA Western Conference, snapped a five-game skid with a 105-88 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Rookie Ja Morant scored 27 points and tied his season high with 14 assists for the Grizzlies, who led by as many as 22 points in the third quarter.
In other games, it was:
‧ Cavaliers 104, Pacers 113
‧ Spurs 114, Magic 113
‧ Hawks 129, Trail Blazers 117
‧ Heat 116, Nets 113
‧ Suns 99, Warriors 115
‧ Knicks 125, Bulls 115
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