NBA: Thunder hold on to beat Knicks
NBA Scores, News, Schedules
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) handles the ball as New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, back, defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
OKLAHOMA CITY— Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams each scored 36 points, and Williams hit a pair of clutch 3-pointers in the fourth quarter Wednesday night as the Oklahoma City Thunder held on to beat the New York Knicks 129-120 in the NBA.
Chet Holmgren added 22 points for Oklahoma City (20-9), which beat Western Conference-leading Minnesota on Tuesday night and was playing its third back-to-back this season.
“I thought we really got into our depth in the first half and we were able to keep the minutes under control and still have control of the game,” said Thunder coach Mark Daigneault, whose team committed just four turnovers. “We played a lot of different guys and we had a very balanced rotation minutes-wise in the first half, which allows you to hit the gas in the second half with the higher-minute guys.”
Williams did most of his damage in the fourth, scoring 17 points on 6-of-7 shooting, including eight points and two 3s during a 10-2 run after New York pulled within 111-106 on a basket by Jalen Brunson with 4:37 left.
“Just shooting open shots,” Williams said. “Trying to pick my spots a little more carefully. Me and Chet had a really good two-man thing going on, two-man action, for a lot of those plays. The game’s easier when you make shots, so I was able to hit a couple and that allowed me to be able to drive and opened up things for Chet to have space to do his thing as well.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander over his last 10 games:
36 PTS, 7 REB, 8 AST
34 PTS, 6 REB, 9 AST
34 PTS, 5 REB, 7 AST
31 PTS, 8 REB, 4 AST
30 PTS, 9 REB, 5 AST
25 PTS, 6 REB, 8 AST
43 PTS, 6 REB, 9 AST
30 PTS, 4 REB, 7 AST
38 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST
33 PTS, 3 REB, 6 AST pic.twitter.com/07NccvltQw— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 28, 2023
Julius Randle led New York (17-13) with 25 points, including 10 free throws, and Brunson added 24 points on 9-of-19 shooting. Immanuel Quickley contributed 22 points off the bench for the Knicks, who shot 41% from the field but made 24 of 30 free throws.
“We started slowly. We were playing from behind,” New York coach Tom Thibodeau said. “I thought we had pretty good resolve. We didn’t let it get away from us and then we couldn’t finish it in the end.”
New York had 18 turnovers, which resulted in 21 Thunder points.
“I thought our turnovers hurt us and some of that is they’re coming after the ball,” Thibodeau said. “Sometimes, if you’re not getting a call, you can get frustrated that way. But I thought the rebounding was good enough. The turnovers put them in the open floor, so it gave them a cushion.”
The Thunder hit 16 of their first 25 shots — 6 of 8 from beyond the arc — to take a 38-25 lead after one quarter. The advantage grew to 17 points in the second quarter, but the Knicks went on a 16-4 run to pull within 50-45 on a 3-pointer by Immanuel Quickley with 5:30 left.
Oklahoma City extended its lead to 69-58 on a three-point-play by Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 19 points before halftime. The Thunder led 69-60 at the break.
Randle helped the Knicks come back in the third quarter, scoring nine of his team’s 11 points during one stretch to make it 83-83. Gilgeous-Alexander responded by scoring four straight, including a layup following a steal. Oklahoma City was outscored 29-24 in the quarter but led 93-89 to start the fourth.
NEXT SCHEDULE
Knicks: At Orlando on Friday night.
Thunder: At Denver on Friday night.
