Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points, setting the NBA record for consecutive games with 20-plus points while lifting the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 104-102 home win over the Boston Celtics on Thursday.
The reigning MVP put up at least 20 points for the 127th consecutive time, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain’s 63-year-old NBA record. In a tie game, Chet Holmgren made both free throws with 0.8 seconds left, and Payton Pritchard’s long 3-point try at the buzzer came up short to give Oklahoma City the win, its seventh in a row.
The Celtics and Jaylen Brown (34 points, seven assists, six rebounds) didn’t make it easy for the Thunder, though. Boston was playing short-handed. Jayson Tatum missed the game due to injury management after recently returning from a 10-month absence caused by an Achilles tear, and Derrick White sat out because of a right knee contusion.
In the third quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander picked up his dribble just inside the arc, guarded by Baylor Scheierman. As Scheierman reacted, Gilgeous-Alexander moved the ball from side to side before pulling up and draining a 20-foot jumper to tie the game, set the record and get a hearty cheer from the home crowd.
Nuggets 136, Spurs 131
Jamal Murray poured in 39 points and Nikola Jokic amassed a 31-point, 20-rebound, 12-assist triple-double as visiting Denver rallied from a 20-point deficit to beat short-handed San Antonio. The Spurs played without Victor Wembanyama, who sat out with right ankle soreness. It was the first game Wembanyama has missed since Jan. 3. San Antonio is 10-5 without him this season. Stephon Castle led the Spurs with 30 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists to produce his third career triple-double.
The weary Nuggets, playing the second game of a home-road back-to-back, did not arrive until the wee hours of Thursday but were ultimately the stronger team in the fourth quarter, outscoring San Antonio 42-25.
Lakers 142, Bulls 130 Luka Doncic scored 51 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished nine assists, Austin Reaves added 30 points and Los Angeles beat visiting Chicago for its fourth consecutive win. Deandre Ayton produced 23 points and 10 rebounds as the Lakers won their sixth consecutive home game while moving into third place in the Western Conference. Doncic logged his eighth career game of at least 50 points and first as a member of the Lakers. Josh Giddey amassed 27 points and 15 assists and Matas Buzelis added 22 points as the Bulls dropped to 3-3 following an 11-game losing streak. Suns 123, Pacers 108 Devin Booker scored 43 points and Jalen Green added 36 as Phoenix extended its winning streak to four games with a victory over Indiana in Indianapolis. Royce O’Neale had 15 points for Phoenix, which led by as many as 16 in the fourth quarter and moved a season-high 12 games over .500 after winning for the sixth time in its last seven games. Indiana lost its 11th straight game and owns the NBA’s worst record at 15-51. Andrew Nembhard led the Pacers with 23 points, while Jarace Walker added 12. Ethan Thompson scored 11 points, Jay Huff and Ben Sheppard had 10 apiece, and Jalen Slawson recorded career highs with 10 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
Pistons 131, 76ers 109
Duncan Robinson led seven players in double figures with 19 points as host Detroit manhandled depleted Philadelphia.
Javonte Green had 17 points, while Tobias Harris and Ronald Holland tossed in 15 apiece for the Eastern Conference leaders. Jalen Duren had 14 points with 10 rebounds and Isaiah Stewart supplied 13 points. All-Star Cade Cunningham added eight points and doled out 13 assists.
The Sixers also had seven players in double figures, topped by MarJon Beauchamp with 17 points. Jabari Walker contributed 16 and Cameron Payne had 15. Quentin Grimes added 14 points, but rookie VJ Edgecombe was limited to 10 on 3-of-14 shooting.
Magic 136, Wizards 131 (OT)
Jalen Suggs capped a 28-point performance with a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 1:27 to go in overtime, Tristan da Silva chipped in with a career-best 26, and Orlando withstood a fourth-quarter flurry by visiting Washington for a victory.
Desmond Bane contributed 22 points, while Wendell Carter Jr. had 19 and Paolo Banchero 18 as part of double-doubles for the Magic, who won their sixth in a row.
Bilal Coulibaly was the game’s leading scorer with a career-high 29 points for the Wizards, who never led until overtime, were 17 down in the first minute of the final period before Coulibaly forced the extra session with a game-tying 26-footer with 5.8 seconds left.
Heat 112, Bucks 105
Pelle Larsson scored a career-high 28 points and added six rebounds and six assists as host Miami won its season-high seventh straight game, defeating Milwaukee.
Miami’s Bam Adebayo, who posted 83 points Tuesday, the second-highest single-game total in NBA history, had just eight points through three quarters before finishing with 21. Rookie Kasparas Jakucionis had a strong game for the Heat, scoring 18 points while shooting 5-for-11 on 3-point attempts.
The Bucks never led en route to their third loss in a row and seventh in eight games. Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with a game-high 31 points, and Bobby Portis came off the bench to score 19.
Hawks 108, Nets 97
Jalen Johnson had 21 points, nine rebounds and nine assists to help lead Atlanta to its eighth straight victory, beating visiting Brooklyn.
Zaccharie Risacher added 19 points and nine rebounds off the bench for Atlanta, which notched the franchise’s longest win streak since an eight-game stretch in March 2021. Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 18 points, CJ McCollum totaled 14 and Onyeka Okongwu finished with 13 for the Hawks, who briefly trailed in the fourth quarter.
Josh Minott’s 24 points off the bench led Brooklyn, followed by Drake Powell’s 11. Ben Saraf and Noah Clowney chipped in 10 apiece for the Nets, who dropped their 12th game in 14 tries.
Mavericks 120, Grizzlies 112
Khris Middleton scored 22 of his season-high 35 points in the fourth quarter and Daniel Gafford added 22 points and 14 rebounds to lead visiting Dallas over Memphis to snap an eight-game losing streak.
Cooper Flagg contributed 13 points and seven assists for the Mavs and Max Christie also had 13 points. Playing the final game of a six-game road trip, Dallas had lost 18 of its previous 20 games and the previous three matchups against Memphis.
Jaylen Wells led the Grizzlies with 23 points, GG Jackson scored 20 and Javon Small finished with 19 points and nine assists.
