Thunder stay tied with surging Clippers after big win over Raptors

Oklahoma, March 23: The Oklahoma City Thunder kept pace with the Los Angeles Clippers after a huge win over the Toronto Raptors in the NBA on Friday.

The Thunder can feel the Clippers breathing down their neck in the Western Conference play-off race, but they got past the Raptors 116-109.

Oklahoma City were able to overcome a 37-point effort from Kawhi Leonard to remain in the fifth play-off spot in the West and in a tie with the Clippers (43-30) as Los Angeles have won nine of their last 10 games.

The Clippers got a scare of their own when they had to fend off a pesky Cleveland Cavaliers team in a 110-108 victory on the road.

Danilo Gallinari scored a game-high 27 points on 11-of-15 shooting as Los Angeles stopped a fourth-quarter comeback from the Cavs. Cleveland nearly erased a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter when they cut the lead to one with 10.7 seconds left.

Fortunately for the Clippers, Jordan Clarkson missed a jumper at the buzzer to give Los Angeles the win.

Meanwhile, the Lakers are out of play-off contention after a 111-106 loss to the Brooklyn Nets.

Lakers keep it close but can't pull it out down the stretch, falling to the Nets, 106-111. pic.twitter.com/LKTfNBW68o

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) March 23, 2019

Harden the hero for Rockets

James Harden scored a career-high 61 points in the Rockets' 111-105 win over the San Antonio Spurs. He now holds all five of Houston's best single-game scoring performances.

Grizzlies center Jonas Valanciunas scored 23 points on 10-of-19 shooting and added 24 rebounds in Memphis' 123-119 overtime loss to the Magic. Terrence Ross scored a game-high 31 in the win for Orlando.

Dire Dragic

This was not Goran Dragic's game. The 32-year-old point guard went 0-for-nine shooting in the Miami Heat's 116-87 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Neat move from Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets always make passing by big men look easy and they did it again in their 111-93 win over the New York Knicks when Mason Plumlee found Nikola Jokic off the rebound.

Friday's results

Orlando Magic 123-119 Memphis Grizzlies Los Angeles Clippers 110-108 Cleveland Cavaliers Denver Nuggets 111-93 New York Knicks Oklahoma City Thunder 116-109 Toronto Raptors Houston Rockets 111-105 San Antonio Spurs Milwaukee Bucks 116-87 Miami Heat Brooklyn Nets 111-106 Los Angeles Lakers

Pistons at Trail Blazers

With 11 games to play, the Detroit Pistons have a seemingly safe 3.5-game cushion on the ninth-placed Magic for the final playoff spot, but crazier things have happened. Portland, meanwhile, trail the third-placed Rockets in the Western Conference by only a half-game.