Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Jalen Williams scored 26 points and Kenrich Williams added 21 as the NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder erased a 21-point third-quarter deficit to edge the Memphis Grizzlies 117-116 on Friday. Kenrich Williams delivered a go-ahead three-pointer with 1:07 remaining, and Alex Caruso blocked a last-gasp attempt by Grizzlies guard Cedric Coward in the final second as the Thunder triumphed despite the absence of reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and center Chet Holmgren. Gilgeous-Alexander was sidelined by a sprained ankle while Holmgren was nursing sore shins, both joining Isaiah Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams on OKC’s injured list.
“Great resilience by the team,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “There were just so many moments of that game where we were trying to break through and something would happen that put the wind in our face again. And yet the team just kept competing,” Daigneault added after the Thunder improved their league-best record to 32-7.
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Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 23 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead Memphis, who had the Thunder on the ropes much of the night despite the continued absence of Ja Morant and any uncertainty sparked by the trade rumors swirling around their star guard. Morant missed his fourth straight game with a calf injury amid reports the Grizzlies would consider trade offers for him. Coach Tuomas Iisalo declined to comment on the reports before the contest, saying the team was fully focused on the clash with the reigning champions. Iisalo said the Grizzlies just didn’t maintain their level in the second half. “They’re a very experienced team,” he said. “They’ve been in a lot of pressure situations and they also know how to turn those to their advantage and we are learning that.”
The Milwaukee Bucks came through in the clutch for a 105-101 victory over the Lakers in Los Angeles. Kevin Porter Jr. scored 22 points, including four free-throws in the final 16.2 seconds. Giannis Antetokounmpo added 21 points and in the waning seconds came up with a big block on LeBron James and a crucial steal of a James pass to help seal the win. James scored 26 points to lead the Lakers and Luka Doncic added 24 before fouling out with 16.2 seconds remaining, when his foul on Porter’s three-point attempt sent Porter to the line, where he made two of three to put the Bucks up 103-101. After Antetokounmpo poked the ball away from James, Porter added two more free-throws for insurance.
In Portland, the Trail Blazers spoiled a milestone night for Houston star Kevin Durant with a 111-105 victory over the Rockets. Durant passed Wilt Chamberlain for seventh on the NBA’s all-time scoring list when he drilled a three-pointer in the third quarter. Durant went into the game needing 15 points to eclipse Chamberlain’s 31,419 points and finished with a game-high 30. But in a game that featured 24 lead changes, the Rockets couldn’t hang onto the 13-point lead they took into the final quarter.
Golden State star Stephen Curry scored 27 points and handed out 10 of the Warriors’ 39 assists in a dominant 137-103 home victory over Sacramento. In Boston, the Celtics led by as many as 20 points on the way to a 125-117 victory over the Toronto Raptors, who came into the contest on a three-game winning streak that had pulled them within one game of Boston for third place in the East. Payton Pritchard scored 27 points to lead six Celtics players in double figures. Jaylen Brown added 25 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists.
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