NBA: Gilgeous-Alexander powers Thunder to OT win vs Pacers

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander posted 36 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 129-125 overtime win over the Indiana Pacers on Friday in Indianapolis.

The Thunder won for just the 2nd time in 9 games while the Pacers have dropped 8 of their last 9.

After Indiana shot 53.9 percent in regulation, it cooled off in overtime, making just 1 of 11 from the floor as the Thunder pulled off the split in the season series.

Both games between the teams went to overtime.

Tre Mann added 22 points for the Thunder, while Darius Bazley and Theo Maledon scored 14 each, with Bazley adding 10 rebounds.

In the final minute of regulation, Gilgeous-Alexander missed a pair of free throws to keep Indiana alive.

After Mann's free throws put the Thunder up three with 8.9 seconds left, the Pacers had a chance to tie it. Buddy Hield's 3-pointer clanged off the front of the rim, setting off a scramble for the ball. Oshae Brissett, falling to the floor, pushed the ball out to Lance Stephenson in the corner, where he buried the 3-pointer with 1.6 seconds left to tie it.

Hield led the Pacers with 29 points, hitting five 3-pointers.

Isaiah Jackson added 17 points with 5 blocked shots and Jalen Smith 16 off the bench as 7 Pacers scored in double figures.

In Malcolm Brogdon's first appearance since Jan. 19, the Pacers' offense hummed along from the start. Brogdon, who missed the last 15 games with a sore right Achilles, returned to a remade lineup. It was the first game for Brogdon to play alongside Hield and Tyrese Haliburton, who were both acquired in a trade deadline deal with Sacramento.

The Pacers scored the game's first 10 points before the Thunder settled in.

By the final minute of the first half, Oklahoma City led by 10 points thanks to a 16-6 run and took an eight-point lead into the break.

Indiana led by eight with less than five minutes remaining in regulation.

Mann's nine points the rest of the way in the fourth helped put the Thunder in position to win before Stephenson's 3-pointer.

Josh Giddey missed the game for Oklahoma City with right hip soreness.

-reuters

Thunder roll over Blazers

OKLAHOMA CITY – Paul George had a 47-point triple-double, and Russell Westbrook set an NBA record for consecutive triple-doubles as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Portland Trail Blazers 120-111 on Monday night.

George’s 3-pointer with 3:52 to play came on the 10th assist by Westbrook, who clinched his 10th consecutive triple-double. Westbrook finished with 21 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists. Wilt Chamberlain had nine consecutive triple-doubles in 1968.

George, who contributed 12 rebounds and 10 assists, has scored 92 points over the last two games.


The win was the fourth consecutive and 11th in 12 games for the Thunder.

Hampered by a strained left shoulder, James Harden nearly had his streak of consecutive 30-point games end before coming alive down the stretch as host Houston defeated Dallas 120-104.


Harden finished with a game-high 31 points on 9-for-23 shooting that went  with eight rebounds, seven assists and five steals.

The Rockets relied on a collective effort to build a lead against Dallas, with four others scoring in double figures, including guard Gerald Green, who poured in 19 points in 22 minutes off the bench. Luka Doncic posted 21 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists to pace the Mavericks.

In Cleveland, New York saw its late comeback bid fall short at Cleveland and took its 17th straight defeat – the longest single-season losing streak in franchise history.     

Other results: Detroit 121, Washington 112; Indiana 99, Charlotte 90; Toronto 127, Brooklyn 125; Milwaukee 112, Chicago 99, Minnesota 130, LA Clippers 120; Denver 103, Miami 87.

source: philstar.com

All-Star Warriors roll past Thunder in festive NBA opener

OAKLAND, California – Stephen Curry is coming off an injury-plagued season and a summer he thought might be among his best yet.

On a festive night of celebration as another championship banner went up, Curry brought his usual flair and dazzle. Kevin Durant did all of the little things, too.

Curry had 32 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, Durant added 27 points, eight rebounds and six assists, and the Golden State Warriors opened their quest for a three-peat by holding off the Oklahoma City Thunder 108-100 on Tuesday night.

“I love who we are, game 1 of 82,” Durant said. “Just keep grinding.”

Golden State needed a strong fourth quarter after the two-time defending champions received their 2018 rings in a pregame ceremony shortly before tipoff and began the final season at Oracle Arena before a move across San Francisco Bay to new Chase Center. (Related story below)

“It’s a great move for the organization. We know that but this place is special, so we want to make sure this is a special season,” coach Steve Kerr said.

Klay Thompson shot just 5 of 20 for 14 points while center Damian Jones scored 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting for the Warriors in his first career start and 26th game.

Kerr knows his players are still getting in shape and looked tired, saying: “We didn’t look much like ourselves. It’s not surprising either. We need a couple more weeks.”

Curry called it “an emotional night.”

source: philstar.com

Thunder's 'big three' powers Oklahoma past Houston

The Oklahoma City Thunder adopted a simple mantra for Saturday’s game (Sunday in Manila) against the Houston Rockets with their playoff fate still up in the air.

“We just better not lose,” Paul George said.

For one night at least, it worked.

George and Russell Westbrook each scored 24 points, and Oklahoma City snapped Houston’s 20-game home winning streak with a 108-102 victory.

The Thunder were down one with about seven minutes left before scoring the next 11 points.

Oklahoma City (46-34) is tied with San Antonio and New Orleans for fifth in the loaded Western Conference, a half-game behind idle Utah. The Thunder can clinch a playoff spot with a victory at Miami on Monday.

“This game was important but the Monday game is just as important as this game because if we don’t take care of business Monday then this game doesn’t really mean anything,” said Carmelo Anthony, who had 22 points.

The Thunder took two of three in the season series against the NBA-best Rockets.

James Harden had 26 points for Houston, and Chris Paul added 17.

“I thought we tasted the playoff atmosphere because these guys are fighting for their lives and we’re not,” Houston coach Mike D’Antoni said. “It’s human nature, there’s no reward in winning.”

Paul hit a step-back jumper and Gerald Green scored to give the Rockets a 92-91 lead with 7:09 left. But Westbrook scored five quick points to start an 11-0 run by Oklahoma City that made it 102-92 with about four minutes remaining.
Houston went scoreless for more than four minutes, missing seven shots and committing three turnovers as Oklahoma City pulled away. The Thunder also blocked three shots in that span.

“Just doing what you’ve got to do to win, honestly,” Westbrook said.

The Rockets scored five straight points with less than a minute left to get within five, but George made two free throws to help secure the win.

Anthony made three of the Thunder’s 10 3-pointers. He said it was important for them to be in attack mode right from the start.

“It was one of those days, understanding the situation that we’re in and just trying to be aggressive out there on both ends and go after it from the beginning,” he said.

The Thunder led by as many as 11 in the first half, but Houston used a 5-1 spurt take a 62-61 lead at halftime.

source: philstar.com