Grizzlies clawing their way towards the top of the West…
The Los Angeles Lakers snapped their seven-game losing streak with a win in overtime over their old rivals the Boston Celtics at the Staples Center on Sunday.
Point guard Jeremy Lin stepped up with an impressive performance to lead the Lakers as he finished the game with 25 points and six assists to lead the charge.
Wesley Johnson had a season-high 22 points while Nick Young added 19 as LA won for only the second time in 18 games.
However, it didn’t come without drama as Celtics star Avery Bradley nailed a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to send the game to overtime which forced the Lakers to get over the hump the hard way.
Elsewhere, the Memphis Grizzlies were able to close the gap on the Golden State Warriors at the top of the Western Conference with their win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Griz overcame a 13-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter with Marc Gasol putting up 21 points and six rebounds as they improve to 40-14 for the season.
Their bid for top spot in the West was aided by the Indiana Pacers who defeated the Warriors behind 30 points from Rodney Stuckey.
Golden State were without point guard and MVP candidate Stephen Curry due to a sore right ankle, and despite 30 points from Klay Thompson, the best team in the league were unable to close out for the win.
The Oklahoma City Thunder had no such problems even without Kevin Durant as Russell Westbrook ended their win over the Denver Nuggets with 21 points, eight rebounds and 17 assists in another monster performance.
OKC are now 31-25 for the season as they look like they will claim a playoff spot with ease after their initial struggle to start the season.
Over in the East, it was back to business for the Atlanta Hawks as they sealed a comfortable win over the Milwaukee Bucks with Paul Millsap putting up 23 points and 16 rebounds.
NBA Results
Cleveland Cavaliers 101-83 New York Knicks
Atlanta Hawks 97-86 Milwaukee Bucks
Washington Wizards 89-106 Detroit Pistons
Golden State Warriors 98-104 Indiana Pacers
Philadelphia 76ers 98-103 Orlando Magic
Denver Nuggets 94-119 Oklahoma City Thunder
Charlotte Hornets 81-92 Dallas Mavericks
Memphis Grizzlies 98-92 Portland Trail Blazers
Boston Celtics 111-118 Los Angeles Lakers
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