Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 28 points, Luguentz Dort started hot on both ends of the floor and Jalen Williams came up big all around as the Oklahoma City Thunder blew out the Los Angeles Lakers 139-96 at home Thursday.
The Thunder have won four consecutive games and 16 of their last 17. Not only was the Lakers’ four-game winning streak snapped, but Luka Doncic suffered a strained left hamstring in the second half with the game out of reach. Lakers coach JJ Redick said after the game that Doncic will undergo an MRI on Friday to determine the extent of the injury.
An already bad night for Doncic got even worse early in the third quarter when he was dribbling into the lane and began to elevate for a mid-range jumper. But just as he came off the floor, Doncic came down grabbing his left hamstring and quickly fell to the floor. He finished with 12 points on 3-of-10 shooting from the field.
The Thunder controlled the game from the jump, building a double-digit lead less than four minutes in. That lead didn’t drop below 23 after the first quarter. Shortly after Doncic’s injury, the Thunder got a scare when Dort crashed to the floor after his legs came out from under him as he went to the basket. He left the game and didn’t return. Dort scored 14 and Williams finished with 10 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.
Pistons 113, Timberwolves 108
Daniss Jenkins had 26 points, eight assists and five rebounds and host Detroit downed Minnesota to bring its magic number to clinch the top Eastern Conference playoff seed down to one.
Jalen Duren supplied 22 points and 14 rebounds and Duncan Robinson had 15 points for the Pistons, who trailed by one entering the fourth quarter before taking command with an 18-3 run.
Julius Randle scored 27 points and added six rebounds and six assists for the Timberwolves. Naz Reid had 19 points and six rebounds, while Ayo Dosunmu also scored 19 with five rebounds and four assists.
Spurs 118, Clippers 99
De’Aaron Fox scored 22 points with eight rebounds, Stephon Castle added 20 points and San Antonio increased its winning streak to 11 with a victory over Los Angeles at Inglewood, Calif., while playing without Victor Wembanyama.
Dylan Harper scored 19 points and Devin Vassell had 14 points with 10 rebounds as the Spurs improved to 27-2 since Feb. 1. Wembanyama was given his second night off since Jan. 6 to rest lingering ankle soreness on the second night of the final back-to-back of the season.
Kawhi Leonard scored 24 points and Bennedict Mathurin added 18. It was Leonard’s 53rd consecutive game of at least 20 points. John Collins scored 15 points for Los Angeles, which has already clinched a spot in the play-in tournament but fell into ninth place in the West.
Hornets 127, Suns 107
Miles Bridges poured in 25 points and once Charlotte got rolling, it cruised to a victory against visiting Phoenix.
Kon Knueppel scored 20 and Coby White racked up 19 off the bench, while Brandon Miller supplied 17 and LaMelo Ball provided 15 points and 11 assists as the Hornets won for the seventh time in their last nine games to continue pushing for a guaranteed spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Jalen Green finished with 25 points and Devin Booker scored 17 of his 22 points in the first half for the Suns, who attempted only six free throws until late in the game. Dillon Brooks and Grayson Allen each had 13 points and Mark Williams posted 12.
Cavaliers 118, Warriors 111
Max Strus capped a 24-point performance with two late 3-pointers, James Harden drove for a clinching hoop in the final seconds and Cleveland outlasted Golden State in San Francisco.
Harden finished with 19 points and Donovan Mitchell had a game-high-tying 25 for the Cavaliers, who moved within one game of the New York Knicks in their duel for third place in the Eastern Conference.
Gui Santos and Brandin Podziemski matched Mitchell with 25 points apiece for the Warriors, whose third consecutive defeat left them solidly in 10th place in the West.
Trail Blazers 118, Pelicans 106
Jrue Holiday and Toumani Camara combined to knock down 13 of their team’s 20 made 3-pointers and Portland rallied in the second half to hold off visiting New Orleans.
Holiday led Portland with 27 points, connecting on seven of his 15 3-point attempts — the last of which effectively put away the win. The Blazers, who hold the eighth spot in the Western Conference, have won three straight and five of six. Holiday combined with Camara, who scored 23 points, and Deni Avdija with 26 points to produce all but 42 of Portland’s scoring.
New Orleans remained within striking distance thanks in part to Jeremiah Fears’ team-high 21 points. Fellow reserve Derik Queen added 12 points, seven assists and six rebounds.
