INDIANAPOLIS — Paul George scored 18 of his 35 points in the third quarter, and the desperate Indiana Pacers beat the Toronto Raptors 108-90 on Tuesday night.
The Pacers (38-40) stopped a four-game losing streak that dropped them out of a tie for the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference to the very real possibility of missing the postseason.
DeMar DeRozan scored 27 points for Toronto (47-31), which had won two in a row. Jonas Valanciunas had 10 points and 10 rebounds.
The Pacers trailed by 19 in the first half, but they opened the fourth quarter with an 11-2 run for an 88-77 lead.
The game was marred by a shoving match between Indiana’s Lance Stephenson and DeRozan with 3.3 seconds left. The melee spilled down the sideline and into the Pacers’ bench, where Toronto’s P.J. Tucker was still jawing with Pacers players.
Stephenson, Tucker and DeRozan all received technical fouls.
OKLAHOMA CITY — Russell Westbrook matched Oscar Robertson’s single-season record with his 41st triple-double, leading Oklahoma City to the victory.
Westbrook clinched his seventh straight triple-double on an assist to Taj Gibson with 9:17 left in the third quarter. The crowd stood and chanted “MVP! MVP!” long after the assist. He later waved to the crowd after play stopped. He finished with 12 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists.
Robertson set the record during the 1961-62 season, and Westbrook can break it Wednesday in Memphis. Westbrook also moved into a tie with Wilt Chamberlain for fourth on the career list with his 78th triple-double.
Michael Beasley scored 14 points for Milwaukee, and Giannis Antetokounmpo added 11 points and 10 rebounds.
WASHINGTON — John Wall scored 14 of his 23 points in the third quarter, helping Washington hurt Charlotte’s playoff chances.
The Wizards (47-31) returned from a five-game trip and stopped a three-game slide. Tying Toronto for the third seed in the Eastern Conference, Washington dealt Charlotte a significant blow after it had crept closer to a playoff spot with a three-game win streak.
Kemba Walker scored 37 points, but the All-Star guard went cold in the third quarter along with the rest of the Hornets (36-42). After making 26 of their first 42 shots, they went 6 for their next 18 as the game slipped away.
Washington won for the 17th time this season when trailing by double digits.
CLEVELAND — LeBron James notched his second straight triple-double, Kevin Love scored 28 points and Cleveland warmed up for a big game in Boston by dropping 18 3-pointers in a victory against Orlando.
Kyrie Irving added 24 points and J.R. Smith had 19 for the Cavs, who made nine 3s and scored 43 in the third quarter to turn a tight game into a blowout and beat Orlando for the 17th straight time.
Cleveland didn’t have any on-court issues following an emotional, double-overtime victory Sunday and won its third straight. The defending champions also moved into a tie with the Celtics atop the Eastern Conference. The teams meet Wednesday for first place and temporary ownership of the top seed and home-court advantage until the NBA Finals.
Evan Fournier scored 21 for the Magic, who have lost five in a row and six of seven.
NEW YORK — Carmelo Anthony scored 23 points, and the Knicks snapped the Bulls’ four-game win streak.
Courtney Lee had 14 points for New York, and Maurice Ndour added 13 points and 12 rebounds. The Knicks (30-48) had dropped seven of nine.
The Bulls (38-40) shot just 38.1 percent from the field and committed 15 turnovers. They dropped into a tie with Indiana for the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference, just a half-game ahead of idle Miami.
All-Star Jimmy Butler scored 26 points for Chicago, and Nikola Mirotic had 21 points and 10 rebounds.
PHILADELPHIA — Brook Lopez and Jeremy Lin each scored 16 points to lead Brooklyn to a rare rout.
The 19-win Nets have been buried in last place in the NBA standings for most of the season and not even a recent surge could budge them out of the cellar.
Against the Sixers, Brooklyn scored buckets in the first half at the rapid rate of an All-Star Game. The Nets matched a franchise record for points in a first half with 81.
Brooklyn has won six of the last nine games and is a respectable 10-10 since March 1.
Philadelphia forward Dario Saric, one of the top contenders for NBA Rookie of the Year, only scored 10 points in 19 minutes; his playing time limited by plantar fasciitis in his left foot.
