Shai Gilgeous-Alexander overcame a slow start to score 41 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder powered to a 123-105 home win over the Washington Wizards on Monday.
The Thunder extended their regular-season winning streak to eight, their longest winning streak since January 2018. Oklahoma City hasn’t had a longer streak since the 2013-14 season.
Though the Monday game featured the Thunder, with the top record in the Western Conference, against the team with the worst record in the NBA, it was far from a cake walk.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished 14 of 25 from the field and made all 10 of his free throws. Jalen Williams added 17 points for Oklahoma City, scoring 11 in the first quarter. Isaiah Hartenstein (16 points, 11 rebounds) and rookie Ajay Mitchell (16 points, 12 rebounds, both career highs) each had a double-double. It was Mitchell’s first career double-double and the 10th in 13 games this season for Hartenstein.
Jordan Poole led Washington with 31 points and seven assists. Carlton Carrington scored 14 points, Jonas Valanciunas logged 12 points and 16 rebounds, Malcolm Brogdon also had 12 and Kyshawn George scored 11.
Rockets 114, Hornets 101
Fred VanVleet scored 20 points, Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson added double-doubles and Houston cruised past host Charlotte.
VanVleet tallied 18 points on 7-for-9 shooting in the first half, and his shot-clock buzzer-beater lifted Houston to a 31-point halftime lead. The Rockets led by as many as 34 points en route to winning both sides of a back-to-back and the opening two games of a three-game road trip.
Miles Bridges posted 24 points and eight rebounds and LaMelo Ball added 23 points and eight assists for Charlotte. Ball finished 5 for 11 from behind the arc.
Magic 108, Celtics 104
Tristan da Silva scored a team-high 18 points and Orlando overcame a 15-point halftime deficit to beat visiting Boston.
The Celtics were within one point until da Silva capped the scoring by making a 3-pointer with 9.9 seconds to play. The Magic received 17 points from Trevelin Queen and 16 from Jalen Suggs in the victory.
Jaylen Brown had 35 points and nine rebounds for the Celtics, who were 8-for-33 from 3-point range. Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick White each finished with 17 points.
76ers 111, Spurs 106
Tyrese Maxey racked up 32 points that included eight in a rousing run over the final two and a half minutes as short-handed Philadelphia held off visiting San Antonio in a gritty clash.
The 76ers won for the third time in four games despite losing former league MVP Joel Embiid to an ejection late in the first half. Philadelphia led by three points at halftime and by nine heading into the final quarter. Maxey also took 10 rebounds in the win. Paul George hit for 19 points, Guerschon Yabusele had 17, Caleb Martin had 12 and Kelly Oubre Jr. tallied 10 for the 76ers.
Victor Wembanyama led six Spurs in double-figure scoring with 26 points and added nine rebounds and eight blocked shots. Stephon Castle had 17 points, Jeremy Sochan, Julian Champagnie and Devin Vassell hit for 15 apiece and Paul scored 12 for San Antonio.
Clippers 114, Grizzlies 110
Norman Powell scored 29 points, including four in the final minute, and Ivica Zubac had 20 points and 19 rebounds to lead Los Angeles to a victory at Memphis, snapping the Grizzlies’ eight-game home winning streak.
Powell’s 15-footer with 25.4 seconds left broke a 110-all tie. He added two game-clinching free throws with 5.7 seconds to go. James Harden added 21 points, nine assists and eight rebounds for Los Angeles, which won for the third time in four games.
Jaren Jackson Jr. led the Grizzlies with 24 points. Ja Morant added 23 and Desmond Bane finished with 21 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Rookie big man Zach Edey grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds as Memphis fell for just the second time in eight games overall.
Nuggets 117, Suns 90
Nikola Jokic scored 32 points, Michael Porter Jr. added 24 points on 10-for-12 shooting, and host Denver beat Phoenix.
Aaron Gordon contributed 12 points and Russell Westbrook scored 11 for the Nuggets, who have won five of their past six games. Denver’s Jalen Pickett posted career highs in points (11) and assists (eight).
Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal scored 23 points each for Phoenix, which has dropped three in a row.
Mavericks 132, Trail Blazers 108
Luka Doncic paired a game-high 27 points with seven assists and seven rebounds, leading Dallas to a rout of visiting Portland.
Daniel Gafford added 23 points off the bench on 7-for-7 shooting while Kyrie Irving scored 20 points for Dallas, which won its second straight game.
Reserve Deni Avdija led the Trail Blazers with 19 points while Deandre Ayton chipped in 16 points and nine boards. Portland fell for the eighth time in its past nine games.
Knicks 139, Raptors 125
OG Anunoby scored 31 points on 13-of-15 shooting from the floor against his former team as New York cruised past visiting Toronto for its fourth consecutive win.
The Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns scored 31 points on 11-of-15 shooting from the floor. He grabbed 10 rebounds and dished seven assists before fouling out.
Scottie Barnes scored a team-high 24 points and dished eight assists for the Raptors, who lost their eighth game in a row. Former Knick RJ Barrett added 23 points, six rebounds and six assists.
Pacers 111, Warriors 105
Pascal Siakam gave Indiana the lead for good with a three-point play with 4:43 remaining, Andrew Nembhard harassed Stephen Curry into a poor shooting night and the Pacers earned a victory over Golden State in San Francisco.
Myles Turner produced 23 points and a game-high 10 rebounds for Indiana, which won its fifth game in a row. Siakam chipped in 20 points, while Tyrese Haliburton had 16 points and 12 assists.
Curry finished with 10 points but went just 2-for-13 from the field. Jonathan Kuminga put up 26 points for the Warriors, who lost for the 10th time in 13 games.
Heat 110, Nets 95
Bam Adebayo had 23 points, seven rebounds and seven assists as Miami snapped a three-game losing streak with a win over visiting Brooklyn.
Nikola Jovic scored a season-high 18 points and Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro added 17 apiece for Miami, which bounced back after blowing a 22-point, fourth-quarter lead in a loss to the Orlando Magic on Saturday.
Brooklyn trailed by five before Miami drew clear with a 20-9 run to begin the fourth quarter. The Nets were held to six field goals in the final period and lost for the eighth time in their past 10 games. Noah Clowney scored a season-high 19 points and Cameron Johnson also finished with 19 for Brooklyn.
Cavaliers 124, Jazz 113
Darius Garland scored 23 and was one of four Cleveland players with at least 20 points in a victory over visiting Utah. Donovan Mitchell added 22 points, Evan Mobley scored 22 with 10 rebounds and three blocks, and Utah native Sam Merrill contributed season highs in scoring (20 points) and 3-pointers (six) in a rare start.
Cleveland used a 15-5 run in the final minutes to close out its fifth consecutive victory after Utah pulled within one point in the fourth quarter. The Cavaliers improved their league-best home record to 17-1.
Jordan Clarkson amassed 27 points, six rebounds and five assists, Lauri Markkanen added 26 points and seven rebounds, and Collin Sexton netted 24 points and five assists for Utah.
Pistons 117, Lakers 114
Malik Beasley scored 21 points and Cade Cunningham added 20 points with 10 assists as Detroit turned defensive pressure into a victory at Los Angeles.
Jaden Ivey logged 18 points and Tim Hardaway Jr. added 15 as the Pistons won consecutive games for the first time in more than a month.
LeBron James delivered 28 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists as the Lakers saw their three-game winning streak come to an end. Anthony Davis finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds.
Hawks 117, Timberwolves 104
Reserve Garrison Mathews scored a season-high 25 points and tied a career high with seven 3-pointers to help Atlanta defeat visiting Minnesota. Mathews went 7-for-8 from the field — all 3-point attempts — and 4-for-5 from the free-throw line as Atlanta ended a three-game losing streak.
Trae Young was back in action for Atlanta after missing one game due to a bruised heel. He scored a team-high 29 points, knocking down four 3-pointers, and also dished out seven assists. De’Andre Hunter added 19 points, and Jalen Johnson supplied 17 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists.
Minnesota’s top scorer was Naz Reid (23 points). Julius Randle finished with 19 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists. The Timberwolves have lost three games in a row.
Bucks 112, Bulls 91
Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez scored 21 points apiece and Bobby Portis had a double-double with 19 points and 13 rebounds to boost visiting Milwaukee past Chicago. Milwaukee won for the sixth time in seven games despite missing its top two scorers. Giannis Antetokounmpo (back spasms) and Damian Lillard (non-COVID illness) were out for the Bucks.
Gary Trent Jr. added 14 points and AJ Green chipped in 10 for the Bucks, who shot 46 percent while limiting Chicago to a 10-for-48 effort from long range.
The Bulls set a season low for points and 3-point percentage (20.8). Nikola Vucevic notched a double-double of 17 points and 12 rebounds to pace the Bulls. Zach LaVine and Jalen Smith scored 14 points apiece while Patrick Williams (13) and Coby White (10) followed.
