(SportsDirect) – Russell Westbrook scored 25 points and Kevin Durant had 21 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists as visiting Oklahoma City knocked off Utah Jazz 90-80 Tuesday night.
The Thunder moved within a half-game of the San Antonio Spurs for the top spot in the Western Conference.
Mo Williams scored 19 points and Gordon Hayward added 17 for the Jazz, who fell a half-game behind the Los Angeles Lakers in the battle for the eighth and final playoff berth in the West.
Kobe Bryant scored 23 of his game-high 30 points in the fourth quarter and Los Angeles withstood an inspired effort by visiting New Orleans to keep its playoff hopes alive with a 104-96 points win.
Pau Gasol had 22 points and 11 rebounds and Dwight Howard added 19 points for the Lakers, who took over sole possession of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference with four games to play.
Los Angeles holds a half-game lead over Utah, which owns the tiebreaker with the Lakers.
Eric Gordon led New Orleans with 22 points and Anthony Davis contributed 18 and 14 boards for the Hornets, who trailed 89-86 with 4:20 remaining before the Lakers scored five unanswered points to secure their 11th straight win over New Orleans.
Klay Thompson scored 25 of his 30 points in the first half and Golden State pulled away after the break to down visiting Minnesota 105-89 and clinch its first playoff berth since 2006-07.
Stephen Curry added 24 points as the Warriors bumped their lead over the Houston Rockets for the No. 6 spot in the Western Conference to one game.
Point guard Ricky Rubio went 0-for-10 from the field and Minnesota shot 36.7 percent as a team.
James Harden got credit for the game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer after a defensive goaltending call on Jermaine O’Neal as Houston survived a challenge from visiting Phoenix.
Harden finished with 33 points and Omer Asik matched a career high with 22 rebounds for the Rockets who defeated the Suns 101-98.
The game went back-and-forth into the final seconds when Harden’s three-pointer from the wing bounced high off the rim and O’Neal tipped the ball while it was still in the cylinder.
