Shai Gilgeous-Alexander poured in 35 points, breaking the NBA record for consecutive games scoring 20 or more, as the Oklahoma City Thunder edged the Boston Celtics 104-102 at home Thursday.
The reigning MVP extended his streak to 127 straight games with at least 20 points, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain’s 63-year-old mark.
With the game tied, Chet Holmgren sank both free throws with 0.8 seconds left, and Payton Pritchard’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer fell short, sealing Oklahoma City’s seventh straight victory.
Boston and Jaylen Brown (34 points, seven assists, six rebounds) pushed the Thunder every step of the way, despite missing key players.
Jayson Tatum sat out for injury management following a 10-month recovery from an Achilles tear, while Derrick White missed the game with a right knee contusion.
In the third quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander picked up his dribble just inside the arc, guarded by Baylor Scheierman.
As Scheierman reacted, Gilgeous-Alexander moved the ball side to side before pulling up and draining a 20-foot jumper to tie the game, set the record and earn a hearty cheer from the home crowd.
Nuggets 136, Spurs 131
Jamal Murray scored 39 points, and Nikola Jokic recorded a 31-point, 20-rebound, 12-assist triple-double as visiting Denver rallied from a 20-point deficit to beat a short-handed San Antonio Spurs.
San Antonio played without Victor Wembanyama, who sat out with right ankle soreness. It was the first game Wembanyama missed since Jan. 3. The Spurs are 10-5 without him this season. Stephon Castle led the Spurs with 30 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for his third career triple-double.
The weary Nuggets, playing the second game of a home-road back-to-back, did not arrive until the early hours Thursday but outscored San Antonio 42-25 in the fourth quarter to secure the win.
Lakers 142, Bulls 130
Luka Doncic scored 51 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished nine assists, while Austin Reaves added 30 as the Los Angeles Lakers beat visiting Chicago for their fourth straight win.
Deandre Ayton had 23 points and 10 rebounds as the Lakers won their sixth consecutive home game, moving into third place in the Western Conference. Doncic recorded his eighth career 50-point game and his first as a member of the Lakers.
Josh Giddey had 27 points and 15 assists, and Matas Buzelis added 22 as the Bulls fell to 3-3 following an 11-game losing streak.
Suns 123, Pacers 108
Devin Booker scored 43 points and Jalen Green added 36 as Phoenix extended its winning streak to four games with a victory over Indiana in Indianapolis.
Royce O’Neale had 15 points for the Suns, who led by as many as 16 in the fourth quarter and moved 12 games over .500 for the first time this season, winning six of seven.
Indiana dropped its 11th straight game and owns the NBA’s worst record at 15-51.
Andrew Nembhard led the Pacers with 23 points, Jarace Walker had 12, Ethan Thompson 11, Jay Huff and Ben Sheppard 10 apiece, and Jalen Slawson posted career highs with 10 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
Pistons 131, 76ers 109
Duncan Robinson led seven Detroit players in double figures with 19 points as the Pistons dominated a depleted Philadelphia team.
Javonte Green added 17 points, while Tobias Harris and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson each scored 15 for the 76ers. Jalen Duren had 14 points and 10 rebounds, Isaiah Stewart contributed 13, and All-Star Cade Cunningham had eight points with 13 assists.
Philadelphia also had seven players in double figures, led by MarJon Beauchamp with 17 points. Jabari Walker added 16, Cameron Payne 15, Quentin Grimes 14, and rookie VJ Edgecombe scored 10 on 3-of-14 shooting.
Magic 136, Wizards 131 (OT)
Jalen Suggs capped a 28-point performance with a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 1:27 left in overtime, Tristan da Silva added a career-high 26, and Orlando held off a late surge by visiting Washington.
Desmond Bane contributed 22 points, while Wendell Carter Jr. had 19 and Paolo Banchero 18 as part of double-doubles for the Magic, who won their sixth straight.
Bilal Coulibaly led the Wizards with a career-high 29 points. Washington never led until overtime, trailed by 17 early in the fourth quarter, and Coulibaly forced the extra session with a game-tying 26-footer with 5.8 seconds left.
Heat 112, Bucks 105
Pelle Larsson scored a career-high 28 points with six rebounds and six assists as host Miami won its season-high seventh straight game, defeating Milwaukee.
Bam Adebayo, who scored 83 points Tuesday, had eight points through three quarters before finishing with 21. Rookie Kasparas Jakucionis added 18 points on 5-of-11 3-point shooting.
The Bucks never led and dropped their third straight and seventh in eight games. Giannis Antetokounmpo had a game-high 31 points, and Bobby Portis added 19 off the bench.
Hawks 108, Nets 97
Jalen Johnson had 21 points, nine rebounds and nine assists to lead Atlanta to its eighth straight win over Brooklyn.
Zaccharie Risacher added 19 points and nine rebounds off the bench. Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 18, CJ McCollum 14 and Onyeka Okongwu 13. Atlanta briefly trailed in the fourth quarter but held on for the victory.
Josh Minott led Brooklyn with 24 points off the bench, followed by Drake Powell’s 11. Ben Saraf and Noah Clowney chipped in 10 each as the Nets lost their 12th game in 14 tries.
Mavericks 120, Grizzlies 112
Khris Middleton scored 22 of his season-high 35 points in the fourth quarter, and Daniel Gafford added 22 points with 14 rebounds to help Dallas snap an eight-game losing streak at Memphis.
Cooper Flagg and Max Christie each added 13 points for the Mavericks. Dallas, playing the final game of a six-game road trip, had lost 18 of its previous 20 games and its last three against Memphis.
Jaylen Wells led the Grizzlies with 23 points, GG Jackson had 20, and Javon Small finished with 19 points and nine assists.