LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 38 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder harried Golden State into an NBA season-high 29 turnovers in a thrilling 138-136 National Basketball Association overtime victory on Friday.
In front of an ecstatic crowd in Oklahoma City, the Thunder opened a 10-point lead in overtime on rookie Chet Holmgren’s three-point play with 1:52 remaining.
The Warriors cut the deficit to two points with less than a minute to go but couldn’t get over the hump.
The game was one of 13 on the slate on Friday, before Saturday’s showdown between the Los Angeles Lakers and Indiana Pacers for the first NBA Cup.
San Antonio rookie Victor Wembanyama notched another milestone, scoring 21 points and grabbing 20 rebounds, but it didn’t prevent the Spurs from falling to a franchise record-equaling 16th straight defeat, 121-112 to the Chicago Bulls.
The 19-year-old French phenomenon became the youngest player in NBA history to record a 20-point, 20-rebound game, surpassing Dwight Howard who was a few days closer to his 20th birthday when he did it in 2005.
In other games, Philadelphia’s reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid scored 38 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to propel the 76ers to a 125-114 victory over the Atlanta Hawks despite a late injury scare.
The Cameroonian big man appeared to injure his left knee, going down hard in the lane in the waning minutes.
He was slowed but stayed in the game, draining a turnaround jumper to extend the Sixers’ lead to four points with two and a half minutes to go.
It was part of a 15-0 scoring run that saw the Sixers pull away. Tyrese Maxey, who finished with 30 points, drilled a three-pointer in the burst capped by De’Anthony Melton’s dunk.
In Oklahoma City, Stephen Curry’s three-pointer put the Warriors up by three with 19 seconds left in regulation.
Holmgren, fouled on a three-point attempt, calmly drained three free throws to tie it at 118-118 with 7.7 seconds left.
Curry missed a last-gasp three-pointer and they went to the extra session. Curry scored 10 of his 34 points in overtime, but the Warriors couldn’t overcome the 29 turnovers that led to 35 Thunder points.
