SPORTS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2017 Westbrook’s Thunder topple Cavs LOS ANGELES: The relentless Russell Westbrook produced his 26th triple-double of the season Thursday to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 118-109 triumph over the NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers. Westbrook poured in 29 points with 11 assists and 12 rebounds. Victor Oladipo added 23 points and seven rebounds and center Steven Adams of New Zealand added 21 points and 13 rebounds for Oklahoma City, who improved to 31-23. Kyrie Irving led the Cavs with 28 points. LeBron James chipped in 18 to go with seven assists but was held score- less in the fourth quarter. Irving’s layup tied it at 99-99 with less than six minutes remaining, but two Westbrook bas- kets put Oklahoma City up 103-99 with 4:59 to play. Irving answered with a driving layup, but after a Westbrook jump shot, Thunder reserve Jerami Grant blocked a shot at the other end. Westbrook sank another jumper to stretch Oklahoma City’s lead to 107-101 with 3:42 remaining. James missed a fadeaway jumper before Westbrook fed Adams for an easy basket. After another block, Westbrook had the ball again, dishing to Oladipo for a layup that gave Westbrook his 10th assist and clinched his triple-double. Westbrook matched the third-highest total for triple- doubles in a season. Oscar Robertson collected 26 in 1960- 61 and 1963-64. Only Robertson, with 41 in 1961-62, and Wilt Chamberlain, with 31 in 1967-68, have posted more in a campaign. The Cavs suffered just their second defeat in their last eight games. After coach Tyronn Lue said James, Irving and Kevin Love might all sit out to rest, all three stars played, with Lue saying all told him they were feeling “pretty good.” After knocking off the reigning champions and Eastern Conference leaders, the Thunder next host the Western Conference leaders Golden State. That game on Saturday will be Kevin Durant’s first return to Oklahoma City since he forsook the Thunder for the Warriors as a free agent. ROCKETS 107, HORNETS 95 James Harden had 30 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists as Houston beat Charlotte for its third straight win. It was the 25th time Harden has scored at least 30 points. Harden was just 8 of 21 from the field and had nine turnovers, but turned up his play a notch down the stretch as the Rockets overcame a nine-point, third-quar- ter deficit. The Rockets forced the Hornets into a season- high 22 turnovers, leading to 27 points. Patrick Beverley OKLAHOMA CITY: Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) goes up for an unopposed dunk during the third quarter of the team’s NBA basketball game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. — AP had 17 points and Montrezl Harrell added 15 off the bench for the Rockets (39-17) Nic Batum had 15 points onds remaining, Dario Saric came off the bench to score 24 corner with 13 seconds remaining and Orlando holding a and 10 assists for the Hornets, who have lost eight of their points and Philadelphia beat Orlando. McConnell’s basket one-point lead. Ilyasova was the only starter in double fig- last nine. in the lane came after Ersan Ilyasova won the jump ball ures with 16 points for Philadelphia, which snapped a five- against Evan Fournier in the waning moments of a game game losing streak. Fournier led Orlando with 24 points MAVERICKS 112, JAZZ 105, OT that featured 10 lead changes and five ties before the but accounted for six of the team’s 21 turnovers. Vucevic Harrison Barnes scored 31 points, including eight in Sixers completed their final rally. Moments earlier, Magic added 21 points and 11 rebounds in the Magic’s third overtime to help Dallas rally from a 21-point deficit to beat center Nikola Vucevic had blocked Ilyasova’s shot in the straight loss. — AP Utah. Barnes’ three-point play ended an 11-0 run that began late in regulation and put Dallas ahead 107-100. Devin Harris scored the first four points of OT. Utah’s NBA results/standings Gordon Hayward scored a season-high 36 points, but missed a 3-point attempt from the left corner as regulation Boston 120, Portland 111; Dallas 112, Utah 105 (OT); Oklahoma City 118, Cleveland 109; Houston 107, Charlotte 95; ended. The Mavericks scored the final four points of regula- Philadelphia 112, Orlando 111. tion, on a dunk by Barnes and a rebound basket from the Eastern Conference Western Conference edge of the foul line by Dirk Nowitzki with 3 seconds Atlantic Division Northwest Division remaining. Nowitzki finished with 20 points. Utah’s Rudy W L PCT GB Utah 34 20 .630 - Gobert scored 15 points and added 15 rebounds before Boston 34 19 .642 - Oklahoma City 31 23 .574 3 fouling out with 22 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Toronto 32 22 .593 2.5 Denver 23 29 .442 10 NY Knicks 22 32 .407 12.5 CELTICS 120, TRAIL BLAZERS 111 Portland 23 31 .426 11 Philadelphia 19 34 .358 15 Minnesota 20 33 .377 13.5 Isaiah Thomas scored 34 points, including 15 in the Brooklyn 9 44 .170 25 Pacific Division fourth quarter, as Boston rebounded from a loss the previ- Central Division Golden State 44 8 .846 - ous night to beat Portland. Marcus Smart added 18 for the Cleveland 36 16 .692 - LA Clippers 32 21 .604 12.5 Celtics, who had seven scorers in double figures. Thomas, Indiana 29 23 .558 7 Sacramento 21 32 .396 23.5 who went into the game as the NBA’s No. 2 scorer behind Chicago 26 27 .491 10.5 Russell Westbrook, has scored 20 or more points in 37 Detroit 25 28 .472 11.5 LA Lakers 18 37 .327 27.5 straight games. He surpassed the 10.6 points he was aver- Milwaukee 22 29 .431 13.5 Phoenix 16 37 .302 28.5 aging in fourth quarters to lead the league. Damian Lillard Southeast Division Southwest Division had 28 points and seven assists for the Blazers, while Al- Washington 31 21 .596 - San Antonio 40 12 .769 - Farouq Aminu added 26 points. Atlanta 31 22 .585 0.5 Houston 39 17 .696 3 Charlotte 24 29 .453 7.5 Memphis 33 22 .600 8.5 76ERS 112, MAGIC 111 Miami 23 30 .434 8.5 Dallas 21 32 .396 19.5 TJ McConnell made the go-ahead jumper with 5.8 sec- Orlando 20 35 .364 12.5 New Orleans 20 33 .377 20.5.