For most of this season center Tyler Zeller was a forgotten man on the end of the Boston Celtics bench.

Before the Rockets summoned the defensive moxie necessary to siphon off the paint, guard James Harden undergirded their offense with his usual blend of scoring and facilitating, doing the latter with such unbridled enthusiasm that it warranted special consideration.

Toronto knew it would face an energized Phoenix team after a coaching change Monday, but the Raptors had an answer in guards Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan.

The Portland Trail Blazers had a favorable schedule the past three weeks, and they made the most of it.

On a night when Kobe Bryant delivered his best performance of the season, the Los Angeles Lakers avoided setting another franchise record for futility.