Mavs Beat Thunder 135-131 Despite Westbrook Triple-Double
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Monta Ellis scored 26 points, and the Dallas Mavericks withstood a triple-double from Russell Westbrook to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 135-131 on Wednesday night.
Westbrook finished with 31 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. It was his 10th triple-double of the season, the 17th of his career and his eighth since the All-Star break.
Anthony Morrow scored 32 points and Enes Kanter added a career-high 30 points and 16 rebounds for the Thunder. According to STATS, it was the first time a team had three players score at least 30 points in a game since Westbrook, Kevin Durant and James Harden did it for Oklahoma City on March 7, 2012.
Dallas shot 61.5 percent from the field, the highest percentage Oklahoma City has allowed this season.
Chandler Parsons added 22 points for the Mavericks, who had seven players score in double figures.
The Thunder fell four games behind the Mavericks in the race for the No. 7 spot in the Western Conference standings with seven games remaining. The top eight teams make the playoffs.
The Mavericks led 132-129 and had the ball in the final minute, but they turned it over. Westbrook made two free throws to cut Dallas' lead to a point, but Parsons hit a turnaround in the lane with 13 seconds left to push the Mavericks' lead back to three.
Westbrook missed a wild 3-pointer while trying to draw a foul, hustled to get his own rebound, then ran to the corner and missed another three. Dallas rebounded, and Ellis made a free throw at the other end to clinch the win for the Mavericks.
Morrow made a 3-pointer as time expired in the first half, but the Mavericks led 66-63 at the break. Westbrook scored just five points in the first half, but he had six assists and five rebounds. Kanter scored 20 points before the break.
Westbrook's jumper about a minute into the second half put the Thunder ahead 67-66, and Oklahoma City opened the second half on a 16-4 run to take a 79-70 lead. Westbrook scored 16 points in the third quarter, and the score was tied at 101 heading into the fourth.
The Mavericks scored the first 10 points of the quarter to go up 111-101, but the Thunder rallied. Westbrook made a jumper to tie the game at 119, then got his 10th rebound to clinch the triple-double and ran downcourt for a layup that gave the Thunder a 121-119 lead with just under four minutes to play and set up the tight finish.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: The theme song from the popular 1980s hit television show, "Dallas," played during the Mavericks' player introductions. ... Dallas shot 68 percent in the second quarter.
Thunder: F Nick Collison (left ankle sprain), G Andre Roberson (left ankle sprain) and F Serge Ibaka (right knee surgery) sat out. ... Kanter scored 15 points in the first quarter for the third time in his past five games.
UP NEXT
Mavericks: Host Houston on Thursday.
Thunder: At Memphis on Friday.
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