Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook scored a career-high 54 points on Sunday night, but it wasn’t enough to defeat the Indiana Pacers.
Westbrook did everything possible to will his team to a win, but he came up short against Paul George and Co. while the explosive star picked up his 16th technical foul of the season and will now be suspended for one game.
The Thunder have now lost five of their last six games to fall to 43-37, but with the New Orleans Pelicans losing to the Houston Rockets, the two rivals remain tied heading into the final two games of the regular season.
New Orleans still have the advantage with the head-to-head, but this race is certainly going to the wire and could have a few more twists and turns yet.
James Harden had 30 points and seven assists while Anthony Davis responded with 27 points, seven rebounds and four assists in the Rockets win.
Meanwhile, although his impact on the box score is still improving, the Pacers have gone 4-0 since George returned to the line-up.
Elsewhere, the Milwaukee Bucks secured the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference and celebrated their spot in the playoffs after defeating the Brooklyn Nets.
The Boston Celtics were also winners on Sunday as they defeated a short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers by 39 points, while the Atlanta Hawks fell to a loss to the Washington Wizards as the playoff bracket in the Eastern Conference continues to suggest that there will be movement in the last week before the post-season.
Over in the West, there is seemingly no stopping the San Antonio Spurs currently as they moved up into second place in the standings after their 11th straight win.
It was the Phoenix Suns who were the latest team to be dispatched, with Tim Duncan putting up 22 points and 10 rebounds as Gregg Popovich’s men march on towards defending their crown in the playoffs.
NBA Results
Cleveland Cavaliers 78-117 Boston Celtics
Brooklyn Nets 73-96 Milwaukee Bucks
Charlotte Hornets 77-116 Detroit Pistons
Sacramento Kings 111-122 Denver Nuggets
Atlanta Hawks 99-108 Washington Wizards
Oklahoma City Thunder 104-116 Indiana Pacers
New Orleans Pelicans 114-121 Houston Rockets
Phoenix Suns 91-107 San Antonio Spurs
Dallas Mavericks 120-106 Los Angeles Lakers
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