F Luc Mbah a Moute set a playoff career high with 15 points. Mbah a Moute scored in double figures for the fourth time in six games after reaching 10-plus points just 12 other times previously this season.

F Blake Griffin headed to the locker room with 3:18 left in the second quarter after suffering a bruised right big toe. Griffin did not return in the second half. Griffin had 11 points and six rebounds before injuring his toe.

Gordon Hayward scored a career-high 40 points to lead the Jazz. Hayward's scoring in the quarter equaled the team output for Los Angeles during that same stretch. It was the most points in a quarter of a playoff game since Karl Malone scored 20 in the fourth against Portland on May 9, 1991. "The energy was great, it was electric out there," Hayward said. "It was the end of the game that we couldn't get stops. That was the biggest problem for us. I have talked about it before. We couldn't get stops, so it allowed them to set their defense on us and they made it really difficult for us."

G Chris Paul fueled a decisive fourth-quarter run by scoring on four straight possessions and finished with a season-high 34 points to lift the Clippers to a 111-106 victory over the Utah Jazz on Friday night in Game 3 of their first-round Western Conference playoff series. The veteran point guard put Los Angeles on his shoulders after halftime at a critical juncture.

Ryan Anderson made two first-quarter 3-pointers. In the first two games of the series, Anderson missed all 11 of his 3-point attempts.

G Russell Westbrook turned in another triple-double performance in a 115-113 Game 3 win over the Houston Rockets at Chesapeake Energy Arena, but it wasn't just the Westbrook show over the final 12 minutes as the Thunder hung on for the win to pull within 2-1 in the series. "I had to do a better job of trusting my teammates for 48 minutes," Westbrook said. "Today those guys made plays throughout the whole game and that's what I tried to do." In Wednesday night's Game 2, Westbrook was 4 of 18 from the floor in the fourth quarter as the Thunder let yet another lead slip away. None of Westbrook's 11 assists -- to go along with 32 points and 13 rebounds -- came in the fourth quarter, but several of his passes set up scores for teammates. "I thought he was unbelievable," Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. "He got guys shots; he took advantage when they switched; he did a lot of different things. He played an exceptional game." The triple-double was Westbrook's second consecutive, making him the first player to record back-to-back triple doubles in the same playoff series since Jason Kidd in the 2002 Eastern Conference Finals.

James Harden's missed two 3-pointers -- both short -- in the final 15 seconds. He finished with 44 points on 11-of-21 shooting. While the final seconds stand out, Harden said it was the Rockets' cold start -- and the hot start of the Thunder -- that was concerning. "We've got to come out with some dog in us," Harden said. "Second half, we did a really good job on both ends of the floor. I think both (Games) 2 and 3 we spot them 10 points and it's tough."

C Ian Mahinmi will miss at least Games 3 and 4 of the first-round Eastern Conference playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks, the team announced Friday. Wizards coach Scott Brooks said Mahinmi's strained left calf was re-evaluated and he has "definitely improved, feeling better each day but he definitely won't play the next few games." The 6-foot-11, 262-pound Mahinmi has missed the start of the postseason after being injured late in the regular season. He averaged 5.6 points and 4.8 rebounds in 31 games this season.

G Rajon Rondo is out indefinitely after an X-ray revealed Rondo suffered a fracture in his right thumb. Rondo will wear a cast to stabilize a previous wrist injury and will be re-evaluated next week when the cast is removed. The injury was initially believed to be a bruise. "It was a shock when we got the call (Thursday) night," Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. Jerian Grant started in Rondo's place.

SF Kevin Durant participated in the Golden State Warriors' practice on Friday afternoon and accompanied the team on its flight to Portland for Saturday's Game 3 against the Trail Blazers. However, Durant is still listed as questionable for the game because of a calf injury. With a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series, the Warriors are likely to take a cautious approach and make sure Durant is 100 percent before putting him back on the court. Durant, who injured his calf in the second half of Game 1, did extra shooting after practice.

G Isaiah Thomas was "feeling better" after traveling to Spokane, Wash., to visit his family after Thomas' sister, Chyna, was killed in a car accident last weekend. "It's been a hard week, he's had his ups and downs," Stevens said. "I think going to Seattle was a good thing, but it was hard." Thomas had 16 points Friday.

F Gerald Green started for Amir Johnson with Stevens citing Green's shooting ability, length and athleticism

Jae Crowder each had 16 to help pace the Celtics to a 104-87 victory over the Bulls in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference playoff series. The Celtics still trail 2-1 in the best-of-seven series. "That was our only goal for this game was (to) just get the win no matter what for us to have a chance to make it a series," Crowder said. "You go down 0-3 and it's really, really tough for you to fight back, but we just want to take it one game at a time and get this game and give ourselves a chance."

SF Matt Barnes, who has a sprained right ankle, practiced Friday, and is listed as questionable for Saturday's game.

Al Horford scored 18 points to help pace the Celtics to a 104-87 victory over the Bulls in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference playoff series. The Celtics still trail 2-1 in the best-of-seven series. "It's a game of runs," Horford said. "For us, in the first two games, we didn't handle it well when they went on a run. Tonight, we were more composed and handled it much better."

PG Russell Westbrook was fined $15,000 by the NBA on Friday for using inappropriate language during a postgame media interview. Westbrook made his comments after the Oklahoma City Thunder's 115-111 loss to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night to go down 2-0 in the first-round Western Conference playoff series. Westbrook scored 51 points in Game 2 and recorded the highest-scoring triple-double in playoff history. He set a franchise playoff scoring record and added 13 assists and 10 rebounds. It was the sixth career playoff triple-double for Westbrook, who had an NBA-record 42 in the regular season.

G Shaun Livingston, who has a right index finger sprain and hand contusion, is listed as questionable for Saturday's game.

G Rajon Rondo suffered a fractured right thumb in Game 2 against the Celtics and will be out indefinitely, the Bulls announced.The Bulls said Rondo underwent a subsequent exam and X-rays confirmed the thumb fracture. His injury will not require surgery. The eight-seeded Bulls beat the Celtics 111-97 on Tuesday night to take a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven series against the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Rondo just missed with a triple-double, finishing with 11 points, 14 assists and nine rebounds, and added five steals.

SALT LAKE CITY -- Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin bruised his big right toe during the second quarter of Game 3 against the Utah Jazz on Friday night. He did not return to the game.Griffin injured the toe after landing awkwardly with 3:18 left before halftime. He went to the locker room during a subsequent timeout and had x-rays taken on the toe.The Clippers forward scored 11 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field and collected six rebounds in 18 minutes.Griffin averaged 25.0 points and 6.0 rebounds for Los Angeles during the first two games of the series.

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Russell Westbrook's second missed free throw of the closing seconds kept the door open for James Harden heroics, but he missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Houston Rockets 115-113 on Friday night at Chesapeake Energy Arena.The Rockets lead the series 2-1 going into Sunday's Game 4. Westbrook finished with 32 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists.Harden hit a 3-pointer with 52 seconds left to lift the Rockets into a tie for the first time since early in the second half. Westbrook followed with his first 3-point attempt of the game. It bounced off the rim, but Steven Adams was there to put it back up for the lead. Then the teams traded free-throw tries until Harden's drive in the final seconds with the Rockets down two.Westbrook had his triple-double -- his 44th of the season -- by the end of the third quarter. He became the first player with back-to-back triple-doubles in the same playoff series since Jason Kidd in the 2002 Eastern Conference... [More]