Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 26-point performance led Western Conference leaders Oklahoma City to a narrow 103-101 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday, while Denver snapped Houston’s nine-game winning run.
Gilgeous-Alexander endured a tough shooting night but connected on all 11 of his free throws, including two in the final second that sealed the victory.
After letting an early 12-point lead get away, the Clippers rallied from a nine-point third-quarter deficit, taking a 3-point lead on back-to-back baskets by Kawhi Leonard with 4:47 remaining.
But Alex Caruso drilled a 3-pointer with 1:54 left to put Oklahoma City up 100-99 and the Thunder, already assured of the top seed in the West, escaped with the win.
Leonard finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds for the Clippers and James Harden added 17 points in the defeat that set back the Clippers' bid to pull themselves out of the play-in tournament.
In other Western Conference action, the Nuggets moved within one game of the Rockets for third place with a 116-111 victory in Houston.
The Nuggets, with NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic sidelined for a fourth straight game with an ankle injury, out-scored the Rockets 39-22 in the third quarter and led by 19 with eight seconds left in the period.
The Rockets roared back, slicing the deficit to three points on Alperen Şengün's reverse layup with 21.9 seconds left.
But Houston couldn't get over the hump, the Nuggets sealing it at the free-throw line.
Jamal Murray scored 39 points to lead six Nuggets players in double figures. Michael Porter Jr. added 17 and DeAndre Jordan had 11 points and 15 rebounds.
Jalen Green scored 30 points for the Rockets and Sengun had a triple-double of 17 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists.
"It can't always be pretty," Murray said. "We really locked in when we needed to."
Jarrett Allen scored 18 points and Donovan Mitchell added 16 to lead six Cavaliers in double figures while Evan Mobley added 11 points and 11 rebounds for Cleveland.
"It's a long season. We're going to go through some ups and downs, we're not going to play our best," Mitchell said.
"If this streak had happened in November I don't think everybody would be tripping as much," Mitchell added. "This is all part of the season. It's all part of getting better."
The Cavs improved to 57-14 – the second-best record in the league behind Oklahoma City – and maintained a five-game lead atop the East over defending champions Boston, who beat the Trail Blazers 129-116 in Portland.
Jayson Tatum scored 30 points with nine rebounds and nine assists as the Celtics cruised to their fifth straight win despite the absence of Jaylen Brown, who missed a second straight game with a right knee injury.
Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday also sat out, but six Celtics players scored in double figures.
Boston made 23 3-pointers and never trailed in the second half, pulling away after the Blazers cut an 18-point deficit to eight late in the third quarter.
The Miami Heat snapped their 10-game losing streak, beating the Charlotte Hornets 122-105 behind 42 points from Andrew Wiggins – who arrived last month in the trade that sent Jimmy Butler to Golden State.
"We played connected, we played together," Wiggins said after the Heat won for the first time in almost three weeks.
Miami remained in 10th place in the East in the mix for the play-in tournament.
In Detroit, U.S. teen rookie forward Ronald Holland scored 26 points off the bench to lead the Pistons over New Orleans 136-130.
Jalen Duren added 22 points and 12 rebounds for the Pistons, who withstood a 40-point performance from New Orleans' CJ McCollum.
