Lakers 88, Celtics 87
Pau Gasol blocked Ray Allen’s putback attempt at the buzzer in overtime, and the Los Angeles Lakers held on to beat the host Boston Celtics.
Kobe Bryant scored 27 points, while Gasol finished with 25 points and 14 rebounds, and Andrew Bynum had 16 points and 17 rebounds to help the Lakers snap a two-game losing streak.
Allen scored 22 points and Kevin Garnett had 12 points and 12 rebounds for Boston, which had won five in a row and nine of its previous 10 games. But Garnett was 6-for-23 from the field and Paul Pierce was 7-for-18, including a clean-look jumper at the end of overtime.
It rimmed out and Allen tried to push the rebound in, but Gasol got his fingertips on it and it floated away as the buzzer sounded.
Bryant hit 11-of-24 from the field and all five of his free-throw attempts for the Lakers, who were 1-of-15 from beyond the arc. The Lakers had a 55-45 margin in rebounds.
Rajon Rondo had 14 points and seven assists for Boston.
Warriors 109, Nuggets 101
Stephen Curry scored a season-best 36 points and the Golden State Warriors handed the fading Denver Nuggets their fifth loss in a row.
It is the longest losing streak in five seasons for the Nuggets, who have dropped seven out of eight games overall and also have lost five in a row at home.
Klay Thompson added 19 points, Dorrell Wright had 15 and Monta Ellis 14 for the Warriors, who snapped a two-game skid and posted just their third win in nine road games.
The Warriors used a 37-20 third quarter to put this one away.
Rockets 96, Suns 89
Luis Scola scored 16 points, Patrick Patterson added 14 and the Houston Rockets outlasted the host Phoenix Suns. Chase Budinger and Kyle Lowry each scored 12 points, and the Rockets used a 57-13 edge in scoring from their backups to win their third in a row.
