Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the visiting Dallas Mavericks 126-119 on Thursday.
The Mavericks were without superstar Luka Doncic, who suffered left hamstring soreness during Dallas’ win over Golden State on Wednesday. Dallas ended its four-game winning streak.
Jalen Williams returned after missing the Thunder’s loss to the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday due to a sprained ankle. Williams finished with 27 points, including an emphatic dunk in the final minute that put the game away.
Without Doncic, the Mavericks had to rely on Kyrie Irving for much of their offense, and he almost led them to victory. Irving had 36 points and 12 assists while committing four turnovers. Tim Hardaway Jr. added 23 points off the bench for Dallas, while Gafford finished with 19 points (on 8-of-11 shooting) and 15 rebounds.
Rockets 135, Wizards 119
Jalen Green scored a game-high 37 points as Houston traveled to Washington for a sixth win in seven games.
Green shot 15 of 23 from the floor, made five 3-pointers and grabbed eight rebounds. He was the focal point of a balanced offensive attack that yielded six double-digit scorers, including rookie Amen Thompson (20 points, 10 rebounds, three steals) and Fred VanVleet, who combined for 27 points with nine assists.
Jordan Poole led Washington with 25 points – including 13 in the third – while Deni Avdija added 24 points (on 10-of-13 shooting), nine rebounds, five assists and three steals. Kyle Kuzma scored 23 points.
Celtics 127, Suns 112
Jaylen Brown made five 3-pointers and scored a game-high 37 points to help Boston extend its winning streak to four games with a win over visiting Phoenix.
Jayson Tatum added 26 for Boston, which shot 25 of 50 from behind the 3-point arc. Al Horford made six 3-pointers and finished with a game-high 24 points. The Celtics also received 10 assists and nine points from Jrue Holiday.
The Suns received 22 points from Bradley Beal plus 20 from Kevin Durant and Grayson Allen. Jusuf Nurkic had 20 rebounds, the best total in a single game for a Celtics opponent this season.
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Bucks 114, 76ers 105
Giannis Antetokounmpo produced 32 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists to lead Milwaukee against Philadelphia.
Brook Lopez added 19 points for the Bucks, while Damian Lillard scored 17 points and dished out nine assists. AJ Green scored 14 points coming off the bench. Milwaukee had lost three of its previous four games.
Tyrese Maxey led Philadelphia with 30 points on 12-of-23 shooting. Tobias Harris scored 15, Cam Payne added 13 against his former team and Kyle Lowry contributed 12. The Sixers suffered their fifth loss in six games.
Clippers 126, Bulls 111
Paul George scored 28 points and Kawhi Leonard added 27 to lead five players in double figures and propel their visiting Los Angeles to a victory over Chicago.
Los Angeles shot 60 percent to Chicago’s 47.7 percent. George sparked the offense with an 11-of-12 effort, including 6-of-7 from 3-point range. Leonard, who was questionable before the game after back spasms kept him out for the final three quarters of Tuesday’s loss to Minnesota, was 12-for-17.
DeMar DeRozan scored 21 points to lead Chicago. Nikola Vucevic followed with 19 and Alex Caruso with 17 points, including five triples. Andre Drummond contributed 15 points and seven rebounds.
Knicks 105, Trail Blazers 93
Jalen Brunson scored 45 points and New York beat host Portland for its third win in four games.
Brunson finished 14 of 30 from the field and 15 of 17 from the free throw line while posting the 10th regular-season 40-point outing of his career. OG Anunoby added 12 points and nine rebounds and Donte DiVincenzo also scored 12 for New York.
Deandre Ayton recorded 31 points and 14 rebounds for his seventh straight double-double for the Trail Blazers, who went 2-4 over a six-game homestand. Dalano Banton added 16 points and four steals and Scoot Henderson had 12 points, seven rebounds and six assists for Portland.
