NBA: Thunder top Heat as Timberwolves edge Spurs late
Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander powered defending champion Oklahoma City to another win on Sunday, while Anthony Edwards led a dramatic late surge as Minnesota narrowly defeated San Antonio.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 29 points, eight assists and five rebounds in the Thunder’s 124-112 home victory over the Miami Heat. Oklahoma City, which owns the NBA’s best record, improved to 33-7 after dominating the second half 70-53, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
“We locked in defensively. We were finally able to get some stops,” Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins said. “We were able to get out in transition a little bit, get going offensively and find the flow.
“We hit some shots in the second half and that got us going.”
Jalen Williams added 18 points for the Thunder, while Chet Holmgren contributed 16 points and nine rebounds. Andrew Wiggins led Miami (20-19) with 23 points.
One day after losing in Cleveland, Minnesota bounced back by edging the visiting Spurs 104-103 on a bank shot by Anthony Edwards with 16.8 seconds remaining.
Edwards, known as “Ant-Man,” scored 23 points. Donte DiVincenzo added 19, Naz Reid came off the bench to record 17 points and 11 rebounds, and Rudy Gobert pulled down 14 rebounds.
Victor Wembanyama, who scored five points during San Antonio’s game-opening 16-0 run, led the Spurs with 29 points. However, the French star and De’Aaron Fox both missed potential go-ahead shots in the final moments.
Second-place San Antonio (27-12) dropped to 5.5 games behind Oklahoma City atop the Western Conference. Minnesota followed 1.5 games back at 26-14.
Another close contest unfolded in Canada, where Scottie Barnes made the winning free throw with 0.8 seconds remaining in overtime as Toronto edged Philadelphia 116-115, denying the 76ers a sixth victory in seven games.
Barnes led the Raptors with 31 points, while Tyrese Maxey scored a game-high 38 for Philadelphia. Jamal Shead hit a jumper with 1.9 seconds left in regulation to force overtime at 107-107.
A three-pointer by V.J. Edgecombe tied the game with 16.1 seconds remaining in overtime, but Kelly Oubre’s foul on Barnes set up the decisive free throw.
In Portland, New York snapped the Trail Blazers’ five-game winning streak with a 123-114 road victory. Jalen Brunson scored 26 points and O.G. Anunoby added 24 for the Knicks.
Anunoby hit two three-pointers during an 11-0 New York run that opened a 114-104 lead, and Portland was unable to recover. Karl-Anthony Towns posted 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Knicks, while Deni Avdija led the Trail Blazers with 25 points.
Denver defeated visiting Milwaukee 108-104 behind 23 points from Aaron Gordon and 26 off the bench from Tim Hardaway Jr. Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded 31 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds for the Bucks.
In Orlando, Desmond Bane scored 27 points as the host Magic rallied in the fourth quarter to beat New Orleans 128-118.
Cedric Coward posted a game-high 21 points and knocked down two three-pointers in a decisive 13-0 run to close the game as Memphis beat visiting Brooklyn 103-98.
Royce O’Neale scored 19 points to lead host Phoenix past Washington 112-93.
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