NBA-best Thunder beat Knicks as Boston seal playoff spot

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/williams-jalen/4G5tbqUi/"]Jalen Williams[/a] added 22 points while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hartenstein-isaiah/v5FbfBw9/"]Isaiah Hartenstein[/a] grabbed 13 rebounds as the reigning NBA champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/oklahoma-city-thunder/0fHFHEWD/"]Thunder[/a] improved to 59-16, 2.5 games ahead of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/san-antonio-spurs/IwmkErSH/"]San Antonio[/a] atop the Western Conference.[/p][p]Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gilgeous-alexander-shai/d6TE5wgc/"]Gilgeous-Alexander[/a] extended his NBA record run of games with 20 or more points to 135 in a row.[/p][p][b]"He's MVP for a reason,"[/b] Thunder guard [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dort-luguentz/rFioGfiI/"]Luguentz Dort[/a] said of SGA. [b]"He knows the type of shot he's going to get and he's never going to lay down and we know he's always going to be aggressive for us, which he did throughout the whole game."[/b][/p][embed guid="20dce35a-81ac-445c-afd5-fd5f576e749f" url="https://x.com/NBA/status/2038438705552072741?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]The visiting [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-york-knicks/WCNO4nbt/"]Knicks[/a], led by 32 points from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/brunson-jalen/YLRvL3v7/"]Jalen Brunson[/a], fell to 48-27 and missed a chance to clinch a playoff berth.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hart-josh/Cjknv7yj/"]Josh Hart[/a]'s three-pointer at the buzzer lifted New York within [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/new-york-knicks-WCNO4nbt/oklahoma-city-thunder-0fHFHEWD/?mid=8t26RGpS"]53-52[/a] at half-time, but the Thunder stretched the advantage to 84-78 after three quarters.[/p][p]A 10-0 run pulled New York within 92-91, but Gilgeous-Alexander made back-to-back three-pointers and a jumper in an 10-0 run soon after that gave the Thunder a 106-95 edge on the way to a 14th victory in 15 games.[/p][embed guid="8459be7c-1e4e-4c93-bc94-59ed1da25010" url="https://x.com/NBA/status/2038444015675142379?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]"They're a good team. We knew it was going to be a tough one,"[/b] said Dort, who scored 12 points. [b]"We just had to stay in there throughout the whole game and we did.[/b][/p][p][b]"Every time we play together like that we're hard to beat."[/b][/p][h2]Around the league[/h2][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tatum-jayson/t4Y4e7r0/"]Jayson Tatum[/a] delivered 32 points, eight assists, and five rebounds as the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/boston-celtics/KYD9hVEm/"]Boston Celtics[/a] sealed a playoff berth with a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/boston-celtics-KYD9hVEm/charlotte-hornets-xftMikUg/?mid=vT6Z3Mn4"]114-99[/a] victory at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/charlotte-hornets/xftMikUg/"]Charlotte[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pritchard-payton/SWoc4GBt/"]Payton Pritchard[/a] added 28 points for Boston (50-24), which pulled within four games of Eastern Conference leader [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/detroit-pistons/UcjMRj6J/"]Detroit[/a].[/p][embed guid="3e41f68f-2910-4965-a227-432b65b0d486" url="https://x.com/NBA/status/2038413227365748794?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]The [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/los-angeles-clippers/vPeTYlqm/"]Los Angeles Clippers[/a] (39-36) stretched their win streak to five games as reserve [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mathurin-bennedict/8pMCfl0L/"]Bennedict Mathurin[/a] scored 28 points and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/leonard-kawhi/d4zqZuLO/"]Kawhi Leonard[/a] added 20 in a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/los-angeles-clippers-vPeTYlqm/milwaukee-bucks-QTBEW6rC/?mid=8nNFm12N"]127-113[/a] victory at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/milwaukee-bucks/QTBEW6rC/"]Milwaukee[/a], which got 36 points from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/trent-gary-jr/EXEodpbh/"]Gary Trent[/a] in a losing cause.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/houston-rockets/Sr9PQALP/"]Houston[/a]'s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sengun-alperen/6VXU9SGb/"]Alperen Sengun[/a] had 36 points and 14 rebounds while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/durant-kevin/pKXcd9rI/"]Kevin Durant[/a] added 20 points to spark the Rockets in a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/houston-rockets-Sr9PQALP/new-orleans-pelicans-U3yc9SkP/?mid=S2Ik0vnT"]134-102[/a] victory at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-orleans-pelicans/U3yc9SkP/"]New Orleans[/a].[/p][p]Cameroon's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/siakam-pascal/bcOia8CS/"]Pascal Siakam[/a] had 30 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists to lead the league-worst [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/indiana-pacers/YPohMUTt/"]Indiana Pacers[/a] (17-58) over visiting [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/miami-heat/CQ7AXnT5/"]Miami[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/indiana-pacers-YPohMUTt/miami-heat-CQ7AXnT5/?mid=j7QvruQp"]135-118[/a].[/p][embed guid="19c945d7-868a-48ef-a79a-81637dd74191" url="https://x.com/NBA/status/2038437205518041461?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/brooklyn-nets/bsAMUpDO/"]Brooklyn[/a] (18-57) stayed ahead of Indiana for the NBA basement by snapping a 10-game losing streak as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/agbaji-ochai/IcYXQuVL/"]Ochai Agbaji[/a] scored 18 points in a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/brooklyn-nets-bsAMUpDO/sacramento-kings-CvwE1OCB/?mid=IDIQ5rIi"]116-99[/a] home victory over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sacramento-kings/CvwE1OCB/"]Sacramento[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/barrett-r-j/AoZEtF3g/"]R.J. Barrett[/a] scored 24 points and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/barnes-scott/EuVVM62p/"]Scottie Barnes[/a] added 23 to power host [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/toronto-raptors/CxtbCMdU/"]Toronto[/a] over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/orlando-magic/QZMS36Dn/"]Orlando[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/orlando-magic-QZMS36Dn/toronto-raptors-CxtbCMdU/?mid=2qabTxGF"]139-87[/a] - a game in which they held an NBA player era (1997-present) record 31-0 run at one point - while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/camara-toumani/GpK3TbjK/"]Toumani Camara[/a] led [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/portland-trail-blazers/4Awl14c5/"]Portland[/a] with 23 points in a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/portland-trail-blazers-4Awl14c5/washington-wizards-W6vGWPsn/?mid=ngAs20HG"]123-88[/a] victory over visiting [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/washington-wizards/W6vGWPsn/"]Washington[/a].[/p][embed guid="3601b9e9-408e-4e82-9040-2be79216b407" url="https://x.com/NBA/status/2038391297187193221?s=20" social-type="twitter" /]