TORONTO — Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook recorded his seventh triple-double for March – the most in a month since Michael Jordan also had seven in April, 1989 – and led the Thunder to a 119-100 win at Toronto on Monday, stretching the team’s winning streak to eight straight.
The Thunder has already clinched the NBA’s Northwest Division, while the Southwest has been secured by San Antonio, which had the luxury of resting its experienced star trio and still won at Memphis.
Among other key results in the run toward the playoffs, the Los Angeles Clippers cruised past Boston and tightened their grip on fourth in the Western Conference, while Atlanta narrowly held off a fast-finishing Chicago and retained outright top spot in the Southeast Division.
Westbrook had 26 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds for the Thunder and put himself up alongside two of the all-time greats. Not only did he match Jordan’s effort of seven in a month, but his 16 this season is the most since Magic Johnson had 17 in 1988-89.
Kevin Durant scored 34 points for Oklahoma City, which is on its longest streak since winning ten straight in the 2013-14 season.
DeMar DeRozan had 19 points for the Raptors, who lost at home for just the fourth time in 2016.
Short-handed Spurs win
San Antonio was able to rest Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili and still win 101-87 at Memphis.
LaMarcus Aldridge had 31 points and 13 rebounds, connecting on 11 of 16 shots and going 9 of 11 from the foul line.
Patty Mills finished with 17 points for the Spurs, who shot 51 percent from the field against 40 by the Grizzlies.
Vince Carter led Memphis with just 14 points,
That defeat meant the Grizzlies were now 5-1/2 games behind the Clippers – with just nine games left – in the fight for fourth in the West, after Los Angeles beat Boston 114-90.
Clippers beat Celtics
DeAndre Jordan had 15 points and 13 rebounds while Chris Paul added 13 points and 14 assists for the Clippers, who shot 52 percent.
Isaiah Thomas scored 24 points for the Celtics, who shot just 35 percent and had a four-game winning run snapped.
Teague, Hawks beat Bulls
Atlanta’s Jeff Teague scored 26 points, including two free throws with just over six seconds to play which secured a 102-100 win at Chicago.
It was the fourth straight win for the Hawks. Though the Bulls mounted a dramatic late comeback, they continued a late-season swoon, losing their fourth straight.
The Bulls were down by 15 in the second half, but stormed back in the fourth quarter and were down three with the ball with eight seconds to play. Chicago’s Mike Dunleavy missed a layup, though, and fouled Teague, whose free throws sealed it.
Dennis Schroder and Al Horford each added 14 points for Atlanta, which completed a season sweep of the Bulls.
Derrick Rose had 20 points for Chicago.
Elsewhere
• Portland beat undermanned Sacramento 105-93 to hold onto sixth place in the West, 2-1/2 games behind fifth-ranked Memphis.
Reserve Allen Crabbe scored 21 points and C.J. McCollum had 16 points while sitting out the fourth quarter after the Blazers had gone up by 28 points.
The Blazers have won 14 of their past 16 games at home, including five straight.
Seth Curry had a career-high 21 points in just his third start of the season for the Kings, who have lost five straight to Portland and rested many players, with playoff hopes all but over.
• Dallas moved into a virtual tie with state rival Houston for the eighth and last playoff spot in the West by winning 97-88 at Denver, led by reserve J.J. Barea, who scored 18 points and had 11 assists.
• Miami’s Dwyane Wade had 30 points to lead the Heat to a 110-99 win against Brooklyn, staying a game behind Atlanta in the Southeast.
• New Orleans beat New York 99-91, recording their first victory this season when scoring in double figures, having been 0-33 beforehand.
• Utah handed the Los Angeles Lakers their equal heaviest defeat in history, winning 123-75 to inflict the most lopsided defeat ever on a Lakers team featuring Kobe Bryant.
• Minnesota’s Andrew Wiggins scored 32 points as the Timberwolves hung on against a Phoenix comeback and won 121-116.
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