NBA: Thunder escape 18-point deficit, race past Nets
Oklahoma City Thunder’s Chet Holmgren (7) drives past Brooklyn Nets’ Tyrese Martin during the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Chet Holmgren scored nine of his 22 points in the fourth quarter for the Oklahoma City Thunder, who rallied from an 18-point deficit and pulled away for a 129-121 victory over the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 27 points but was on the bench for Oklahoma City’s decisive 18-0 run. The rally occurred two nights after the Thunder blew a 25-point lead and allowed the final 16 points of the fourth quarter in an overtime loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
READ: NBA: Chet Holmgren returns as Thunder down Raptors
Aaron Wiggins added 24 off the bench and Jalen Williams contributed 22 for the Thunder, who shot 53.3 percent and won for the 10th time in 12 games. Holmgren pulled down a game-high 17 rebounds.
Oklahoma City scored 18 straight points in a span of 3:11 to turn a 103-99 deficit into a 117-103 advantage with 5:13 left as the trio of Holmgren, Williams and Cason Wallace combined for all of 16 points.
The Thunder took the lead for good with 7:38 remaining when Williams was credited with a layup as Keon Johnson was called for goaltending. Oklahoma City held a 117-103 edge after a Williams basket capped the spree.
READ: NBA: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander propels Thunder past Timberwolves
Brooklyn’s Day’Ron Sharpe started for Nic Claxton (suspended due to flagrant-foul accumulation) and scored a career-high 25 points while collecting 15 rebounds. He scored 18 in Brooklyn’s 76-point first half, but the Nets lost for the third time in four games, were outscored 68-45 in the second half and 68-28 in the paint on the night.
Cameron Johnson added 19 for the Nets, as did Killian Hayes, who started for D’Angelo Russell (sprained right ankle). Ziaire Williams contributed 18 points and 10 rebounds and Keon Johnson finished with 16 points for the Nets, who shot 40.9 percent and sank 15 of their season-high 23 treys in the opening half.
Brooklyn wound up 23 of 61 (37.7 percent) from long distance.
The Nets led 30-12 after a dunk by Jalen Wilson and held a 40-29 edge after the opening quarter.
The Thunder sliced the gap to 52-50 on a 3 by Alex Caruso with 6:18 left in the half. Brooklyn countered Oklahoma City’s comeback try by ending the second quarter on a 24-11 run to take a 76-61 lead in the locker room following a 3-pointer by Cameron Johnson.
The Nets held a 13-point lead with 3:32 left in the third quarter and settled for a 96-90 edge entering the fourth. –Field Level Media
