Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Wednesday rescued the Oklahoma City Thunder with a game-tying buzzer-beater before finishing with 46 points in a 129-125 overtime victory against the Utah Jazz.
The reigning NBA champions looked to be heading for a third straight loss after the Jazz inched into a 114-112 lead following Lauri Markkanen’s layup with just three seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
However, NBA Most Valuable Player Gilgeous-Alexander drained a superb 13-foot jump shot to tie it up at 114-114 as the buzzer sounded to send the game into overtime.
Photo: AP
Gilgeous-Alexander then took over in the extra period with nine points as the Western Conference leaders returned to winning ways after back-to-back defeats.
“We just tried to stay in the moment and do whatever it took to get the W,” Gilgeous-Alexander said afterward. “It’s not always going to be pretty, but we’ve got to play a lot better ... we’d rather learn lessons in a win than in a loss.”
Asked about his game-tying buzzer-beater, Gilgeous-Alexander added: “That’s what I practice for. I work out for the moments when the game is at its tightest and you need plays.”
Photo: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Gilgeous-Alexander, who also had six rebounds and six assists, was backed with 23 points from Chet Holmgren, who pulled down 12 rebounds. Oklahoma City improved to 31-7 at the top of the Western Conference.
Stephen Curry had a team-high 31 points and De’Anthony Melton added a season-high 22, as the Golden State Warriors opened an eight-game homestand with a 120-113 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.
The victory follows Steve Kerr’s ejection from their one-point loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday, when the Warriors coach was held back from the officials by Gary Payton II, Gui Santos and assistant Terry Stotts.
“All good other than my mom being terribly disappointed in me,” Kerr said of his 91-year-old mom before their game against Milwaukee. “She was at the game, she looked horrified afterwards. She asked me if I was going to hit the referee. I said: ‘Mom, I’ve never hit anybody in my life,’ and she said: ‘It looked like you were going to hit him, why were all of those men holding you back?’ That’s all part of the theatrics. She didn’t understand. I was a little alarmed that she thought I was actually going to hit somebody; that scared me.”
Kerr received back-to-back technical fouls and his fifth career ejection after becoming angry with official John Collins over a missed goaltending call, Stotts said.
“I’m happy she got on Steve, that’s great,” Draymond Green said.
Curry appreciated Kerr’s outburst, even if it disappointed his mom, and Curry has been scolded by his mom plenty of times, too.
“I’ve seen worse for sure, I couldn’t tell you exactly when, but I know it’s been worse, but that’s a good mother-son relationship, and that she’s watching every game and locked in and cares as much as she does to call him out,” Curry said. “But we needed that fire, so Mrs Kerr, we forgive him for sure.”
Bucks coach Doc Rivers joked he was disappointed in Kerr.
“He acted like a fool, and I’m done with that from Steve,” said Rivers, who upset his late mother, Bettye, a time or two. “My mom was a church-going lady and I wasn’t using the right language one game, and she called and let me have it. It’s interesting ’cause you say: ‘I’m sorry,’ but you know the next day you’re going to do it again. So it’s a tough one.”
Elsewhere on Tuesday, the Orlando Magic eked out a 104-103 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, the Denver Nuggets beat the Boston Celtics 114-110, the Portland Trail Blazers pipped the Houston Rockets 103-102 and the Atlanta Hawks outplayed the New Orleans Pelicans 117-100.
The New York Knicks defeated the Clippers 123-111, the Toronto Raptors survived the Charlotte Hornets 97-96 and the Detroit Pistons beat the Chicago Bulls 108-93.
The Philadelphia 76ers took out the Washington Wizards 131-110, the Phoenix Suns burned the Memphis Grizzlies 117-98 and the San Antonio Spurs took advantage of LeBron James’ absence to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 107-91.
Additional reporting by staff writer with AP and Reuters
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