NBA roundup: Gilgeous-Alexander tallies 40 points as Thunder secure play-off spot

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gilgeous-alexander-shai/d6TE5wgc/"]Gilgeous-Alexander[/a] was backed with 20 points and 12 rebounds from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/holmgren-chet/WxvJz45d/"]Chet Holmgren[/a], while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mitchell-ajay/zwwlrGJG/"]Ajay Mitchell[/a]'s 16-point display helped the NBA champions slam the door on the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/orlando-magic/QZMS36Dn/"]Magic[/a] in the fourth quarter.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/oklahoma-city-thunder/0fHFHEWD/"]Oklahoma City[/a]'s ninth straight victory [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/oklahoma-city-thunder-0fHFHEWD/orlando-magic-QZMS36Dn/?mid=KAQ8opdd"]leaves them on 54-15 at the top of the Western Conference[/a], ahead of the second-placed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/san-antonio-spurs/IwmkErSH/"]San Antonio Spurs[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/robinson-orlando/nRFCr4U4/"]Orlando[/a] fell to 38-30 to remain in sixth place in the Eastern Conference tables. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/banchero-paolo/06ii067b/"]Paolo Banchero[/a] led Orlando's scoring with 32 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.[/p][embed guid="1afdc137-13a7-4b62-9a3e-315cac4b69b2" url="https://x.com/okcthunder/status/2034080875613155428?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Gilgeous-Alexander saluted the Thunder's resilience after a mixed first-half performance.[/p][p][b]"We got off to a good start, but then the car kind of came off the road for a little bit,"[/b] Gilgeous-Alexander said.[/p][p][b]"But that's what great teams do - they figure out a way to get the car back on the road, they figure out a way to go into a building and win a game when the chips are stacked against you, and we did that tonight."[/b][/p][p]Gilgeous-Alexander's virtuoso display extended his record-breaking streak of consecutive games scoring 20 points or more to 129.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/san-antonio-spurs/IwmkErSH/"]San Antonio[/a] stayed in touch with Oklahoma City after rolling to a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/sacramento-kings-CvwE1OCB/san-antonio-spurs-IwmkErSH/?mid=2gSxMQX8"]132-104 blowout[/a] over the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sacramento-kings/CvwE1OCB/"]Sacramento Kings[/a].[/p][p]A balanced offensive performance saw seven San Antonio players finish in double figures, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wembanyama-victor/jFmM1MFl/"]Victor Wembanyama[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/johnson-keldon/xj823cMg/"]Keldon Johnson[/a] leading the scoring with 18 points apiece.[/p][embed guid="1fe11bc9-58a7-47a7-b877-33b992219023" url="https://x.com/spurs/status/2034120411818954995?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]In Minneapolis, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/randle-julius/lhl0euwn/"]Julius Randle[/a]'s 32 points helped the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/minnesota-timberwolves/KjBIVQcI/"]Minnesota Timberwolves[/a] take down the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/phoenix-suns/M1Gy2pra/"]Phoenix Suns[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/minnesota-timberwolves-KjBIVQcI/phoenix-suns-M1Gy2pra/?mid=EXor0qBk"]116-104[/a].[/p][p]In the Eastern Conference, the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/detroit-pistons/UcjMRj6J/"]Detroit Pistons[/a] cruised past the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/washington-wizards/W6vGWPsn/"]Washington Wizards[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/detroit-pistons-UcjMRj6J/washington-wizards-W6vGWPsn/?mid=zJ8e9ml3"]130-117[/a] to tighten their grip at the top of the table.[/p][p][b]The Pistons improved to 49-19 thanks to 36 points from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/duren-jalen/xva6ve5b/"]Jalen Duren[/a], but the victory was overshadowed by an injury to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cunningham-cade/0YleT8PG/"]Cade Cunningham[/a].[/b][/p][p]Cunningham, who is one of the contenders for the NBA's MVP award, left the game in the first quarter with a back problem.[/p][embed guid="1554e0a2-0d83-479e-ab80-d9fff0435805" url="https://x.com/DetroitPistons/status/2034087460481773779?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]The [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-york-knicks/WCNO4nbt/"]New York Knicks[/a] remain in third place in the East after a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/indiana-pacers-YPohMUTt/new-york-knicks-WCNO4nbt/?mid=rqC37RIF"]136-110 romp[/a] against the hapless [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/indiana-pacers/YPohMUTt/"]Indiana Pacers[/a], last year's NBA Finals runners-up, who are languishing on 15-54 this season.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hart-josh/Cjknv7yj/"]Josh Hart[/a] led the Knicks scoring with 33 points, including a perfect 5-of-5 from three-point range, while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/anunoby-og-ogugua/jiNJMxEa/"]OG Anunoby[/a] added 26 and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/towns-karl-anthony/8np46E9P/"]Karl-Anthony Towns[/a] 22.[/p]