SGA HEARS MVP CHANTS
The M-V-P chants rained down on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as he hit two critical free throws with 10 seconds remaining to help the Oklahoma City Thunder hold off the visiting Phoenix Suns on Sunday.
Thunder 124, Suns 120
The All-Star scored 40 points in Oklahoma City's 124-120 victory.
The Thunder have won four of five as they push for at least a play-in spot. Oklahoma City has missed the playoffs the past two years, but a postseason slot is within reach. The players said the crowd at the Paycom Center shared their sense of urgency.
“We had a home-court advantage for sure,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “They were energetic. They were their usual selves. It was a big game tonight, and it felt like it.”
Gilgeous-Alexander made 12 of 24 field goals and 16 of 19 free throws. He made all 11 of his free throws in the second half after not shooting any in the second quarter.
“I just thought he didn't have his normal jugulartype mentality on his drives (in the second quarter),” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “And he got back to that in the second half and really put pressure on them. That gets the fouls going.”
Luguentz Dort added 20 points for the Thunder, who trailed by 15 in the first half.
“The key to that type of win is just staying alive long enough for when the game turns,” Daigneault said.
Devin Booker scored 46 points and Chris Paul added 14 points and 13 assists for the Suns.
Lakers 111, Magic 105: Austin Reaves scored a career-high
35 points, D'Angelo Russell added 18 points and host Los Angeles hung on to beat Orlando.
Anthony Davis had 15 points and 11 rebounds on another rough shooting night, but Reaves carried the Lakers to victory with 13 points in the fourth quarter, including 10 in the final 1:33. The undrafted second-year pro has earned a vital role on Los Angeles' roster, and Reaves factored in almost every big play down the stretch as the Lakers snapped a two-game skid.
The Lakers entered this game off back-to-back losses to Houston and Dallas, imperiling their tenuous position in the playoff race. This win put Los Angeles (35-37) in ninth in the Western Conference,
tied with Minnesota.
Nuggets 108, Nets 102: Nikola Jokic had 22 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists in his 28th triple-double of the season, Michael Porter Jr. had 28 points and nine rebounds, and visiting Denver beat Brooklyn.
Jamal Murray scored 20 of his 25 points in the first quarter for the Nuggets, who looked nothing like the slumping team that had dropped five of six. Denver shot 62.5 percent in the first half and led comfortably most of the game while playing for the second straight afternoon.
Bucks 118, Raptors 111:
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 22 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists, Brook Lopez scored 17 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, and host Milwaukee improved to an NBA-best 51-20.
Fred VanVleet had 23 points and O.G. Anunoby added 22 for the Raptors, who had won their three previous games. Toronto missed a chance to move into eighth in the East Conference ahead of Atlanta, which lost to San Antonio 126-118.
Clippers 117, Trail Blazers 102:
Paul George had 29 points and visiting Los Angeles handed Portland its sixth straight loss.
Kawhi Leonard added 24 for the Clippers as they fight for home-court advantage in the playoffs. Los Angeles was sitting at fifth in the Western Conference standings just behind the Phoenix Suns.
Heat 112, Pistons 100: Tyler Herro scored 10 of his 19 points in the final 3:20 and visiting Miami won for the third time in four games.
Jimmy Butler had 26 points and 10 assists and Bam Adebayo added 22 points and 10 rebounds for the Heat.
James Wiseman led the Pistons with 22 points and 13 rebounds.
Spurs 126, Hawks 118:
Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell had 29 points each and host San Antonio rallied from a 24-point deficit to spoil Dejounte Murray's homecoming.
Murray had 22 points, eight assists and six rebounds in his first game in San Antonio since being traded to Atlanta in the offseason.
Pelicans 117, Rockets 107:
Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum each scored 26 points and visiting New Orleans closed the gap to a half-game behind Utah for the final spot in the play in tournament with 11 games left.
Jalen Green scored 40 points for Houston.