Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS — Kevin Durant scored 43 points and Russell Westbrook had 35 and eight assists to keep the Oklahoma City Thunder atop the Western Conference with a 115-110 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
Durant scored 16 in the final seven minutes for the Thunder, who started the day one game ahead of the Spurs — but tied in the loss column — for the top seed in the West.
Anthony Randolph had 22 points and 11 rebounds and Michael Beasley scored 26 for the Timberwolves, who lost their ninth straight game and 25th in a row in April dating to 2009.
The Wolves were playing without All-Star Kevin Love, who missed his second straight game with a concussion.
SPURS 105, SUNS 91
SAN ANTONIO — Tim Duncan had 19 points and 10 rebounds, Tony Parker scored 14 and San Antonio officially clinched the Southwest Division title.
More importantly, the Spurs stayed neck-and-neck with Oklahoma City for the No. 1 playoff seed in the Western Conference. San Antonio remains a game behind the Thunder with eight games to go.
Sebastian Telfair scored 21 points for Phoenix, which simply wants to make the postseason. Yet the Suns never looked ready to play from the start and slipped 1 1/2 games behind Denver and Houston for the West’s eighth and final playoff spot.
Phoenix trailed by 17 before the first quarter was even halfway finished, and Steve Nash and Grant Hill sat out the entire second half.
CLIPPERS 112
WARRIORS 104
LOS ANGELES — Chris Paul had 28 points and 13 assists, and the Clippers beat Golden State to close within a game of the Lakers for the Pacific Division lead.
Blake Griffin added 20 points, DeAndre Jordan 18 and Mo Williams 14 in the Clippers’ third straight win and 11th in their last 13 games. They are also chasing the idle Lakers for the third seed in the Western Conference with six games remaining.
The Clippers’ 36 wins are their most since they won 40 games in 2006-07.
Nate Robinson led injury-riddled Golden State with 28 points.
CAVS 98, WIZARDS 89
WASHINGTON Luke Harangody had 16 points and 10 rebounds, Anthony Parker scored 15 points and Tristan Thompson added 14 to lead Cleveland.
Donald Sloan had a career-high 13 points to help the Cavaliers win a game featuring teams that had combined to lose 23 of their 28 coming in.
John Wall scored 19 points to lead the Wizards, one night after missing 10 of 12 shots in a 103-65 loss at New York. Jordan Crawford had 18 points and Kevin Seraphin added 15.
The score was tied at 73 early in the fourth quarter before Cleveland took over. Parker made two free throws with 4:24 to go, giving the Cavaliers a 93-83 lead.
CELTICS 94, NETS 82
NEWARK, N.J. — Avery Bradley hit three straight 3-pointers and scored 11 of his 18 points in a game-deciding third quarter as surging Boston beat New Jersey.
Kevin Garnett had 21 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Celtics, who have won 10 of 13, and 20 of 28 to take over first place in the Atlantic Division.
Rajon Rondo added 15 assists, Brandon Bass had 18 points and Paul Pierce 17 for Boston, which limited New Jersey to 34 second-half points in beating the Nets for the third time in three games this season.
Gerald Green had 15 points to lead New Jersey, while rookie Jordan Williams had 12 points and career-best 14 rebounds in recording his first double-double. Deron Williams had 12 points and 14 assists.
GRIZZLIES 103, JAZZ 98
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — O.J. Mayo scored 17 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter to rally Memphis past Utah.
The Jazz held a 4-point lead early in the final period, but Mayo scored 10-straight points for Memphis to erase the advantage. His 3-pointer with 46 seconds left gave the Grizzlies enough of an advantage to win for the fifth time in six games overall and seventh straight at home.
Rudy Gay led Memphis with 26 points, 18 in the second half, and 12 rebounds, while Mike Conley and Marc Gasol added 17 points apiece. Conley also had six assists.
Al Jefferson and Devin Harris scored 20 points apiece for Utah. Paul Millsap and Gordon Hayward had 17 points each and Derrick Favors added 10 points and 14 rebounds.
PACERS 105, BUCKS 99
MILWAUKEE — Roy Hibbert had 23 points and 14 rebounds, including six free throws in the final 74 seconds, to lead Indiana to its fourth straight win.
Danny Granger scored 21 points and George Hill added 13 points for the Pacers.
Monta Ellis had 20 points and Brandon Jennings added 16 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds for Milwaukee. The Bucks lost for the third time in four games to fall 2 1/2 games behind New York and Philadelphia for one of the last two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.
Neither team could make baskets in the final minutes, with Indiana missing its last nine shots and Milwaukee five straight before Ellis hit a 3-pointer with 11 seconds left to pull the Bucks to 103-99 with 11 seconds left.
