Washington (United States) (AFP) – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander broke the NBA record for consecutive 20-point games by delivering his 127th in a row on Thursday in Oklahoma City’s 104-102 home win over the Boston Celtics. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points on sizzling 13-of-18 shooting from the floor, including 2-of-5 from three-point range, and 7-of-8 from the free throw line while adding nine assists, six rebounds, three blocks, and two steals.
“All the records and accomplishments are great, but they don’t matter if you don’t win, and that’s all that was on my mind,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I would have given the record for the W any day of the week. I’m glad we won and I got the record.” The reigning NBA Most Valuable Player eclipsed the 63-year-old mark of 126 set by NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain when he sank a 20-foot jump shot from the top of the key with 7:04 remaining in the third quarter. That gave the 27-year-old Canadian guard 21 points for the game and lifted the reigning NBA champion Thunder level with Boston at 69-69.
Related news
The game was decided by Chet Holmgren’s two free throws with 0.8 of a second remaining after being fouled on a rebound, which gave the Thunder the final margin. Boston had a final chance, but Payton Pritchard missed a shot at the buzzer. The Thunder improved to an NBA-best 52-15 with their seventh consecutive victory, dropping the Celtics to 43-23. “I’ve been trying to reach my ultimate goal, which is hoisting the trophy,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Because that’s all I focus on, everything else takes care of itself. I look up, and I’ve accomplished a few things.”
Gilgeous-Alexander’s streak began on November 1, 2024, and since then he has averaged 35.5 points and shot 53.5 percent. In the streak, Gilgeous-Alexander has delivered all five of his career 50-point games, 18 40-point performances, and 85 30-point games. He scored 17 points in the first half, putting himself on the brink of NBA history as the second half began. He missed a three-point attempt but was later fouled on a drive to the basket and made two free throws to pull within one point of the milestone, setting the stage for his breakthrough basket.
Gilgeous-Alexander was unhappy with only 10 points in the first quarter. “I was having a terrible game to that point,” he said. “I didn’t like how I started. I started sluggish. I wanted to focus on getting the car back on the road and make sure we walked out of here with a W.”
In other games, Victor Wembanyama was sidelined by a sore right ankle for the San Antonio Spurs, which spoiled a big-man matchup with Denver’s Nikola Jokic, who had a triple-double with 31 points, 20 rebounds, and 12 assists in the Nuggets’ 136-131 victory. The Spurs had their five-game win streak snapped despite 30 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists by Stephon Castle, who missed a tying three-point attempt with 19.8 seconds remaining. Jamal Murray, who scored 39 points, made four late free throws to seal Denver’s victory.
Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic scored 51 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and passed off nine assists in a 142-130 home victory over Chicago. At Indiana, Phoenix’s Devin Booker scored 43 points, and Jalen Green added 36 to spark the Suns’ 123-108 victory over the Pacers, whose losing streak hit 11 games. Eastern Conference leader Detroit (47-18) got a game-high 19 points from Duncan Robinson, plus 14 points and 10 rebounds in 15 minutes by Jalen Duren in a 131-109 home rout of Philadelphia.
Atlanta stretched its win streak to eight games with a 108-97 home victory over Brooklyn, with Jalen Johnson sparking the Hawks with 21 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists. Swedish guard Pelle Larsson scored 28 points, and the Miami Heat won their seventh consecutive game, beating visiting Milwaukee 112-105. The Orlando Magic boosted their win streak to six games with a 136-131 overtime home triumph over Washington, with Jalen Suggs finishing with 28 points and Tristan da Silva adding 26.
© 2024 AFP
