Thunder End Cavaliers Winning Streak As Joe And Wallace Star In 121-113 Victory

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The NBA’s top-ranked Oklahoma City Thunder, a depleted Golden State Warriors side and the league-leading Boston Celtics all claimed notable wins, with Oklahoma City stopping Cleveland’s seven-game surge, Golden State overturning Denver late, and Boston overwhelming the Los Angeles Lakers despite another personal milestone for LeBron James.

The short-handed Thunder relied on unexpected scoring from Isaia Joe and Cason Wallace to overcome the Cleveland Cavaliers 121-113 at home. Joe delivered 22 points, matching his season best, and grabbed a career-high five steals, while Wallace produced 20 points and 10 assists for a first NBA double-double.

Oklahoma City, now 44-14, again played without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has an abdominal strain, and Jalen Williams, sidelined by a strained right hamstring. Joe entered averaging 10.5 points and Wallace 8.1, yet both shouldered larger roles as the Thunder improved to 2-3 in games missing those two key starters.

The Thunder stunned Cleveland early, racing to the game’s first nine points and stretching the margin to 28-5 within eight minutes. Oklahoma City hit eight of 12 three-point attempts in the opening quarter and ended the night 21 of 41 from long range, maintaining one of the NBA’s most dangerous perimeter attacks.

Cleveland, now 36-22, responded steadily and cut the deficit to single digits by half-time. The Cavaliers finally moved in front when Jarrett Allen slammed home a dunk slightly after the third quarter’s three-minute mark. That advantage did not last, however, as Oklahoma City answered immediately and controlled the remainder.

Roughly two minutes after Allen’s basket, Joe converted two free throws. On the following Cavaliers possession, Wallace stripped Allen and finished with a dunk, restoring the Thunder lead for good. Isaiah Hartenstein scored 11 of 13 points after that Cleveland surge, while Chet Holmgren posted 17 points and tied his season best with 15 rebounds.

LeBron James became the first NBA player to reach 43,000 career points, but Boston’s 111-89 win meant the historic moment arrived in a one-sided defeat. The league’s all-time scoring leader had 20 points, securing the milestone with a third-quarter layup during a record 23rd season.

Jaylen Brown led Boston with 32 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, while Payton Pritchard contributed 30 points off the bench. The Celtics completed a season sweep of the Lakers, and improved their record to 37-19. It was Boston’s third straight victory and eighth triumph across the past nine outings.

The Lakers converted only 39.1 percent of their field-goal attempts and struggled consistently in half-court sets. They stayed competitive partly thanks to scoring 20 points from 14 Boston turnovers. Luka Doncic produced a team-high 25 points, yet Los Angeles was outscored by 21 during his 32 minutes, dropping to 34-22 and 2-17 when held under 110 points.

NBA Warriors rally late as Podziemski stuns Nuggets

The Golden State Warriors, missing several headline players, outlasted the Denver Nuggets 128-117 after a dominant fourth quarter. Brandin Podziemski scored 15 of his 18 points in the final period, steering a comeback that compensated for another huge performance from Nikola Jokic.

The game featured heavy momentum shifts. Golden State first moved ahead by 14, then saw Denver erase that gap and lead by eight near the end of the third quarter. The Warriors responded by capturing the fourth 33-16, hitting 13 of 19 shots and sinking six three-pointers during that decisive stretch.

Golden State played without Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and Kristaps Porziis, yet improved to 30-27 after losing eight of 12 before Sunday. Podziemski added 15 rebounds and nine assists in 36 minutes as a reserve, while Moses Moody topped the Warriors with 23 points in a balanced display.

Jokic amassed 35 points, 20 rebounds and 12 assists for his NBA-leading 20th triple-double of the season but committed five turnovers. Denver slipped to 36-22, losing for the sixth time in nine games as defensive issues resurfaced late.

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The three results left the Thunder strengthening their league-best record, the Celtics reinforcing their position among NBA contenders, and the Warriors halting recent struggles. Cleveland, Denver and the Lakers all left facing renewed questions after strong recent stretches were checked on the same night.