Oklahoma City managed to withstand a furious late rally from New York, securing a narrow 103-100 victory on Wednesday night behind strong performances from Chet Holmgren and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Holmgren dominated the scoring with 28 points while Gilgeous-Alexander contributed 26 in the road win. The Thunder appeared to have control with a seven-point advantage and just over a minute left on the clock, but New York mounted a fierce comeback attempt.
The Knicks had an opportunity to force overtime in the final moments, but OG Anunoby’s three-point attempt at the final buzzer hit the rim and bounced away, sealing Oklahoma City’s triumph.
Gilgeous-Alexander reached his 20-point total early in the final quarter, bringing him to within two contests of matching Wilt Chamberlain’s NBA record of 126 straight games with at least 20 points. The victory extended Oklahoma City’s winning streak to four games and marked their ninth win in the past 11 contests.
New York received solid contributions from Karl-Anthony Towns, who recorded a double-double with 17 points and 17 rebounds, while Jalen Brunson nearly achieved a triple-double with 16 points and 15 assists. The loss snapped a strong stretch for the Knicks, who had captured five victories in their previous six outings.
Hornets 118, Celtics 89
Charlotte extended its impressive winning streak to six games with a dominant road performance against Boston, led by Kon Knueppel’s 20-point effort.
LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller each chipped in 18 points for the Hornets, while reserve Coby White provided 17 points and six assists. Charlotte’s current run has been particularly impressive, with each victory coming by a margin of at least 16 points, helping the team reach 32-31 and climb above .500 for the first time since early October when they were 2-1.
Boston’s Derrick White paced all scorers with 29 points, and Jaylen Brown recorded 20 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, though he struggled with his shooting, connecting on just 7 of 19 field goal attempts.
76ers 106, Jazz 102
Philadelphia avoided a third consecutive loss as Tyrese Maxey scored 25 points and Quentin Grimes delivered crucial free throws down the stretch to defeat Utah at home.
Jabari Walker provided valuable support with 22 points and 10 rebounds for the Sixers, who were missing several key players including Joel Embiid, Kelly Oubre Jr., VJ Edgecombe and Paul George. Grimes finished with 16 points in the victory.
Utah’s losing streak reached seven games despite a strong 30-point performance from Keyonte George. Isaiah Collier added 18 points for the Jazz.
Trail Blazers 122, Grizzlies 114
Jrue Holiday exploded for a season-best 35 points and 11 assists to power Portland past Memphis on the road, with Jerami Grant adding 30 points and nine rebounds.
Robert Williams III contributed 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Trail Blazers, while Donovan Clingan made an impact with nine rebounds and four blocks in just 12 minutes before receiving an ejection in the second quarter. Portland played without Deni Avdija due to a back injury and had dropped three of four games entering the contest.
Memphis was led by Jaylen Wells’ 24 points, with GG Jackson scoring 20 and Olivier-Maxence Prosper adding 17 points and nine rebounds. The Grizzlies were severely shorthanded with only eight available players due to injuries and have now lost five of their last seven games.
Hawks 131, Bucks 113
Atlanta captured its fifth straight victory with a convincing road win over Milwaukee, paced by Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s 23 points.
The Hawks received balanced scoring with five additional players reaching double figures, including Wisconsin native Jalen Johnson who tallied 20 points and a team-leading nine assists. Onyeka Okongwu contributed 21 points and eight rebounds.
Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo led his team with 24 points in just 26 minutes as he continues to play under time restrictions following his injury. Kyle Kuzma, who was benched completely in the previous game due to a “coach’s decision,” responded with 16 points off the bench.
Clippers 130, Pacers 117
Los Angeles stretched its winning streak to three games with a home victory over Indiana, getting 29 points from Kawhi Leonard and 23 from Bennedict Mathurin against his former team.
Brook Lopez scored 17 points and Derrick Jones Jr. added 12 for the Clippers, who have compiled an impressive 24-10 record since December 20. Darius Garland contributed 12 points and eight assists in his first home appearance with Los Angeles.
Indiana received 29 points from Pascal Siakam, who returned after missing three games with a wrist injury. Jay Huff scored 18 points and Jarace Walker added 17, but the Pacers extended their losing streak to seven games and fell to 2-11 since February 2.
