Western Conference leaders the Los Angeles Lakers suffered their first defeat in eight games as they were beaten 105-88 by the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday.
The Lakers had swept aside all in their path since losing to the Houston Rockets on February 7, including a victory over the Grizzlies at the Staples Center last weekend.
However, they could not maintain their form in Memphis, where Ja Morant top-scored for the hosts with 27, while Dillon Brooks and Jonas Valanciunas contributed 24 and 22 respectively.
DO YA FEEL ME 🗣 pic.twitter.com/MGzfqWQdQs — Ja Morant (@JaMorant) March 1, 2020
LeBron James was the Lakers' standout performer with 19 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds.
Russell Westbrook led the way with a game-high 41 points as the Houston Rockets edged the Boston Celtics 111-110 in overtime.
Westbrook and James Harden combined for 12 rebounds and 13 assists, while Jayson Tatum top-scored for the home side at TD Garden with 32 points to his name.
Russell Westbrook (41 PTS) scores 20+ for the 30th straight game and 30+ for the 10th time in 12 games. #SAPStatLineOfTheNight pic.twitter.com/DcWlRnkKCp — NBA.com/Stats (@nbastats) March 1, 2020
The result sees Boston, in third, lose ground on the second-placed Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference, while the Rockets improved their record to 39-20 and sit fourth in the Western.
The New York Knicks won for the first time in seven games, beating the Chicago Bulls 125-115, while the Miami Heat were 116-113 winners against the Brooklyn Nets.
Elsewhere, the Golden State Warriors overcame the Phoenix Suns 115-99 in Arizona, the Portland Trail Blazers lost 129-117 at the Atlanta Hawks, Orlando Magic suffered a 114-113 defeat to the San Antonio Spurs in Texas and the Indiana Pacers were 113-104 winners on the road against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
