The NBA Playoffs are headed through another weekend and the games were as exciting as ever with the Bulls and Nets playing a triple overtime thriller that saw them win 142-134 and the Grizzlies were able to tie up their series with the Clippers at 2-2 as the Hawks blew out the Pacers and the Thunder were able to win despite not having Russell Westbrook, putting the Rockets down 3-0.
Kevin Durant went off for the Thunder and led the way with a playoff career high of 41, while James Harden added 30 for the Rockets in the loss and now they will have to come back from a 3-0 deficit to win, which has never been done, while the Clippers and Grizzlies have one of the best series going after the win on Saturday.
With the ailing Lakers missing their top four guards, they were pounded 120-89 on their home court by the second-seeded Spurs to slip 3-0 behind in their best-of-seven first-round playoff series. Pau Gasol completed his first playoff triple-double with 11 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists and Howard added 25 points and 11 rebounds but the severely depleted Lakers line-up was always likely to struggle.
Though the relatively inexperienced Darius Morris, with 24 points, and Andrew Goudelock, with 20, fared surprisingly well after being elevated into the starting lineup, Los Angeles were unable to keep pace with the four-time NBA champion Spurs.
The 24-year-old Westbrook suffered a lateral meniscus tear during the second quarter of Oklahoma's 105-102 victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, a win that put them up 2-0 in the first-round best-of-seven playoff series. Westbrook, who has never missed an NBA game during five seasons in the league, was injured while going for a steal when his knee collided with Rockets rookie Patrick Beverley's hip.
Oklahoma City forward Kevin Durant, a four-time All-Star, said the team would have to "rally around each other and play Thunder basketball" in Westbrook's absence. The top-seeded Thunder, who won the Western Conference last season, are widely regarded as the biggest challengers to the NBA champion Miami Heat during this campaign. Oklahoma City will next be in action on Saturday when they visit the eighth-seeded Rockets in Houston for Game Three.
