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Shai Gilgeous Alexander sparks Thunder, Celtics rally behind Jayson Tatum, Kawhi Leonard hits winner, Nikola Jokic triple double, Luka Doncic drops 41 in Lakers win.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jayson Tatum in the NBA (AP)
The Oklahoma City Thunder returned to the win column on Friday, beating the Chicago Bulls 131-113 to maintain their grip on first place in the NBA Western Conference.
Two days after their 12-game winning streak was snapped by the Boston Celtics, the defending champion Thunder again found themselves under pressure against the visiting Bulls.
Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made just eight of 24 shots for the Thunder, who trailed by eight late in the third quarter before unleashing a furious 22-0 run to turn the game into a blowout.
Cason Wallace added 21 points for Oklahoma City.
Jalen Williams scored 18, and Ajay Mitchell and Isaiah Joe contributed 15 points apiece off the bench for the Thunder, who were without All-Star Chet Holmgren as he sat out with a bruised hip.
It was a key win for Oklahoma City, who entered the game with a two-game lead over the San Antonio Spurs for top spot and home-court advantage in the Western Conference playoffs.
Collin Sexton scored 22 points and Tre Jones added 21 for the Bulls.
In Boston, the Celtics shook off a sluggish start against the high-flying Hawks to earn a 109-102 victory.
The Hawks, who had won nine of their previous 10 games, led by as many as 16 in the first quarter.
However, Payton Pritchard’s 36 points off the bench and Jayson Tatum’s 26 points and 12 rebounds sparked the hosts’ fightback on a night when Jaylen Brown was sidelined by Achilles tendinitis.
It was Tatum’s highest-scoring performance since he made his season debut this month after recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered in last year’s playoffs.
He scored 13 points in the fourth quarter to help the Celtics complete the comeback and maintain their slim advantage over the New York Knicks for second place in the Eastern Conference.
The Los Angeles Clippers, jostling for position in the play-in tournament, received a scare against the league-worst Indiana Pacers, but Kawhi Leonard drilled a game-winning basket with less than a second remaining in a 114-113 victory.
Leonard finished with 28 points and eight rebounds, and Darius Garland scored 30 for the Clippers.
Denver star Nikola Jokic delivered another monster triple-double, his 31st of the season, in the Nuggets’ 135-129 win over the Utah Jazz.
Jokic tallied 33 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists, while point guard Jamal Murray added 31 points and 14 assists to help the Nuggets tighten their hold on fourth place in the West.
Donic Stars For LA
The third-placed Los Angeles Lakers, fuelled by 41 points from Luka Doncic, defeated the lowly Brooklyn Nets 116-99.
Doncic could be facing a one-game suspension after being whistled for his 16th technical foul of the season following a tangle with Nets forward Ziaire Williams in the third quarter.
A player’s 16th technical triggers an automatic one-game ban, something Doncic had already avoided after his previous technical foul — in a victory over Orlando last weekend — was rescinded upon league office review.
The Golden State Warriors, led by 28 points from Kristaps Porzingis, earned a morale-boosting 131-126 victory over the Washington Wizards despite the continued absence of superstar Stephen Curry.
Curry missed his 24th straight game with a nagging knee injury, and the Warriors said before the contest that he will miss at least one more — against Denver on Sunday — before being re-evaluated next week.
(With inputs from Agencies)
March 28, 2026, 12:24 IST
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