Thunder Beat Nuggets in OT
Oklahoma City Thunder secured a scrappy overtime win over the Denver Nuggets in what's being called one of the grittiest games of the season. Phoenix Suns also clinched a wild victory over the Lakers on a buzzer-beating three-pointer.
The Thunder's 127-121 overtime victory was fueled by the return of reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who put up 36 points after a nine-game absence due to an abdominal strain. Despite his performance, Gilgeous-Alexander sat out the overtime period. The game was a contentious affair with multiple technical fouls. Thunder forward Luguentz Dort was ejected in the fourth quarter for a Flagrant 2 foul on Nikola Jokic, which led to a larger scrum involving players from both teams. Denver's Nikola Jokic secured a triple-double with 23 points, 17 rebounds, and 14 assists, while Jamal Murray led all scorers with 39 points. For the Thunder, Chet Holmgren was a force on the boards, grabbing 21 rebounds to go with his 15 points. With the win, the Thunder improved their season record to 46-15. This was the third meeting between the two teams this season, with the Thunder having won the previous two encounters as well. In Phoenix, the Suns overcame the Lakers 113-110 thanks to a last-second three-pointer from Royce O'Neale with just 0.9 seconds left on the clock. O'Neale scored the final 7 points for Phoenix. The Suns were playing without their top two scorers, Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks, due to injury. Grayson Allen stepped up with 28 points, while Collin Gillespie added 21, including four three-pointers in the fourth quarter. Luka Doncic had a dominant performance for the Lakers in the loss, scoring 41 points to go along with 8 rebounds and 8 assists. After O'Neale's go-ahead shot, Austin Reaves missed a potential game-tying three-pointer at the buzzer.
