Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Delivers Game-Winning Three As Thunder Top Nuggets In Tight Finish

Add as a preferred source on Google

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander buried a decisive 3-pointer with 2.7 seconds left, sealing the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 129-126 win over the Denver Nuggets. The high-scoring NBA clash featured huge individual numbers, late drama and major playoff implications, as Oklahoma City stretched a winning run while Denver slipped deeper into a mixed stretch of form.

The Thunder almost let a double-digit lead disappear in the closing minutes. Nikola Jokic scored nine points in just 57 seconds, and Jamal Murray tied the game at the free throw line with nine seconds remaining. Gilgeous-Alexander then answered with two 3-pointers in the final 14 seconds, including the final dagger.

Denver, out of timeouts, could not advance the ball for a final play and managed only a full-court heave that missed at the buzzer. Earlier in the night, Gilgeous-Alexander reached at least 20 points for the 126th straight game, matching Wilt Chamberlain’s long-standing NBA record and underlining another dominant offensive display.

Gilgeous-Alexander closed with 35 points, a career-best 15 assists and nine rebounds, and did not commit a turnover. Oklahoma City played without three injured starters, as Jaylen Williams, Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein were sidelined, yet the rotation still produced enough offence and control to secure another vital Western Conference victory.

Jaylin Williams stepped into the larger role and hit seven 3-pointers on his way to 29 points and 12 rebounds, while Ajay Mitchell added 24 off the bench. The Thunder, now 51-15, claimed a sixth straight win and moved three games clear of the idle San Antonio Spurs at the top of the Western Conference standings.

Denver, meanwhile, fell to 39-26 and dropped its second straight outing, leaving the Nuggets 10-13 over the past 23 contests. Jokic finished with 32 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists for an NBA-leading 23rd triple-double, while Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 28 off the bench and Aaron Gordon produced 23 points and 10 rebounds in 28 minutes.

Elsewhere in the NBA, James Harden reached another personal scoring landmark during the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 115-101 win over the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers. Harden moved into a select group by becoming the ninth player in league history to reach 29,000 points, with the milestone coming on a first-quarter free throw.

Harden, who already entered the top 10 all-time scorers earlier this season, ended with 21 points to lead a balanced Cleveland offence. Keon Ellis delivered his strongest performance since joining the Cavaliers, scoring 19 off the bench on 4-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc, while Donovan Mitchell added 17 and Evan Mobley chipped in 15.

The result helped Cleveland, now 40-25, respond after a defeat to the Boston Celtics the previous night. Philadelphia, 34-30, relied on reserve players because Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Paul George and VJ Edgecombe all missed the contest. Tests on Maxey’s sprained pinkie finger showed no fractures, offering the 76ers some relief despite the loss.

NBA playoff race shapes Clippers vs Knicks battle

Kawhi Leonard guided the Los Angeles Clippers to a 126-118 victory over the New York Knicks in another key NBA matchup. Leonard posted 29 points, seven rebounds and eight assists, hitting 10 of 19 shots from the field, as the Clippers improved to 32-32 and collected a fifth win in six games.

Bennedict Mathurin led the Clippers’ second unit with 28 points, and Darius Garland added 23 points and seven assists; the pair combined to make 10 3-pointers. New York controlled the paint with a 58-42 scoring edge inside but committed 19 turnovers, including 12 steals, which repeatedly fed Los Angeles fast-break chances.

Karl-Anthony Towns recorded 35 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists for the Knicks before fouling out in the final seconds, while Jalen Brunson contributed 28 points and eight assists. OG Anunoby scored 22 points, and Josh Hart put up 12 points and 13 rebounds, but New York have now dropped three of four during a demanding stretch of the schedule.

Across the NBA slate, the Thunder’s late escape, Harden’s scoring mark and the Clippers’ steady climb all influenced the playoff picture. Oklahoma City tightened its grip on first place in the West, Denver stayed in sixth with play-in risk nearby, Cleveland steadied after a setback, and both the Knicks and 76ers continued to manage injuries while staying in the race.