Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook recorded his sixth triple-double in eight games in their win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.
Westbrook had 29 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists in another stellar performance, but he did insist after the game that he needs to do more to cut down on his turnovers after giving the ball up eight times.
Nevertheless, it was an important win for the Thunder who continue to cling on to that eighth and final playoff spot despite being under pressure from the New Orleans Pelicans, and they moved to 36-29 for the season.
Elsewhere, the Chicago Bulls also slipped to another disappointing loss as they crumbled in the second half to the Charlotte Hornets, but there were no issues for the Toronto Raptors who overcame the Miami Heat behind 19 points, eight rebounds and eight assists from point guard Kyle Lowry who also had seven steals in the game.
Staying in the East, the Atlanta Hawks defeated the Phoenix Suns with six players in double figures as a late barrage in the fourth quarter ensured that they made the game safe on the road.
Paul Millsap led the charge with 23 points and nine rebounds as the Hawks move to 51-14 and continue to top the Eastern Conference by some distance.
Returning to the West, the Golden State Warriors were defeated by the Denver Nuggets with Kenneth Faried putting up 24 points and 17 rebounds.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr opted to rest Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala and Andrew Bogut and his depleted team was unable to keep up the pace.
In the game of the night, the Dallas Mavericks secured a significant win over the Los Angeles Clippers with Chandler Parsons scoring 22 points to lead the way.
DeAndre Jordan had 16 points and 18 rebounds in another monster performance which included the first 3-pointer of his career.
Other notable performances included DeMarcus Cousins’ 39-point and 24-rebound display for the Sacramento Kings in their loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, while Damian Lillard scored 28 points and dished out nine assists in the Portland Trail Blazers’s win over the Detroit Pistons.
NBA Results
Chicago Bulls 91-101 Charlotte Hornets
Sacramento Kings 107-114 Philadelphia 76ers
Orlando Magic 88-95 Boston Celtics
Miami Heat 92-102 Toronto Raptors
Minnesota Timberwolves 99-113 Oklahoma City Thunder
Los Angeles Clippers 99-129 Dallas Mavericks
Golden State Warriors 103-114 Denver Nuggets
Atlanta Hawks 96-87 Phoenix Suns
Detroit Pistons 99-118 Portland Trail Blazers
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