SHAI Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points, including a go-ahead bucket with 9.2 seconds left, and the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder beat the short-handed Denver Nuggets 101-99 on Sunday night (Monday in Manila).
Josh Giddey had 18 points and nine rebounds, and Kenrich Williams scored 11 points for Oklahoma City, which ended the Nuggets’ nine-game winning streak and 16-game home winning streak.
Jamal Murray scored 26 points and added nine assists, Aaron Gordon had 15 points and 10 rebounds and Zeke Nnaji had 12 points and 10 rebounds for Denver. Two-time league MVP Nikola Jokic sat out his second straight game with left hamstring tightness and Michael Porter Jr. was out for personal reasons.
Giddey missed a 21-footer with 1:48 left to play, and Murray’s 3-pointer cut the deficit to 96-95. Williams answered with a 3-pointer, Gordon hit a layup with 1:08 left and Giddey missed a short jumper. Nnaji was fouled on an offensive rebound and hit two free throws to tie it at 99-all with 30.2 seconds left before Gilgeous-Alexander’s late heroics. Murray then missed a 14-footer at the buzzer.
In other games, it was the Clippers 112, Mavs 98; Suns 112, Grizzlies 110; Heat 100, Pelicans 96; Nets 120, Warriors 116; Raptors 125, Knicks 116; and Lakers 121, Blazers 112.
Clippers 112, Mavs 98
Kawhi Leonard had 30 points and nine rebounds and visiting Los Angeles dominated the fourth quarter in a win over Dallas.
Paul George scored 21 points and Norman Powell added 19 for Los Angeles, which outscored the Mavericks 33-19 in the final period. Luka Doncic led the Mavericks with 29 points and 10 rebounds. Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 22 points and Spencer Dinwiddie added 21 for Dallas, which has lost six of its past eight games.
Playing in his 600th career NBA game, Leonard hit one of his three 3-pointers with 4:18 left to put the Clippers ahead 103-93. George’s jumper capped a 12-4 run with 2:16 remaining and gave the Clippers a 110-95 lead. Powell scored 11 points in the fourth quarter for Los Angeles, which has won two straight after losing nine of 11. — Field Level Media
