Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook got back down to business on Sunday night as he registered his fifth triple double in six games, and seventh in total for the season.
Westbrook posted 30 points, 11 rebounds and 17 assists in the win over the Toronto Raptors, with the Thunder improving to 35-28 for the season as they put some daylight between themselves and the New Orleans Pelicans for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Enes Kanter added 21 points and 12 rebounds for the visitors while Serge Ibaka had 21 points and five blocks, but it is Westbrook who continues to steal the headlines as he extends his sensational run of form in the absence of Kevin Durant.
Elsewhere, the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Los Angeles Lakers behind 31 points from Monta Ellis, while Carlos Boozer responded with 17 points and eight rebounds for the hosts who surprisingly kept the game competitive for long periods.
There were also wins for the Orlando Magic and Charlotte Hornets against the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons respectively, while there were some early treats on Sunday with a national TV double-header living up to expectations.
Tony Parker scored a season-high 32 points to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a win over the Chicago Bulls, while Draymond Green posted 23 points in the Golden State Warriors’ win over rivals the Los Angeles Clippers.
While the Spurs made it five consecutive wins with their preferred starting line-up healthy to improve to 39-23 for the season, Golden State remain five-and-a-half games clear at the top of the Western Conference with a 49-12 record.
Coach Steve Kerr would have been delighted with the overall performance as he got key production right across the roster, and although point guard and MVP candidate Stephen Curry had a quiet night, he was still able to produce moments of magic including this play:
NBA Results
Chicago Bulls 105-116 San Antonio Spurs
Los Angeles Clippers 98-106 Golden State Warriors
Utah Jazz 95-88 Brooklyn Nets
Charlotte Hornets 108-101 Detroit Pistons
Boston Celtics 98-103 Orlando Magic
Toronto Raptors 104-108 Oklahoma City Thunder
Dallas Mavericks 100-93 Los Angeles Lakers
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