Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sunk a decisive fadeaway shot with only 2.6 seconds remaining, then contributed to a crucial defensive stand just before the buzzer on Sunday evening for the Oklahoma City Thunder, who secured a playoff position with a 113-112 win against the host New York Knicks.

This marks Oklahoma City’s initial playoff qualification since 2020, a year where the Thunder were defeated by the Houston Rockets in the opening round.

Following a timeout by the Thunder, Josh Giddey delivered an inbounds pass to Gilgeous-Alexander, who made a quick move to elude Miles McBride before hitting a shot from deep in the left corner.

Subsequent to a timeout by the Knicks, Donte DiVincenzo passed to Jalen Brunson, who was closely guarded by Gilgeous-Alexander. Brunson’s turnaround jumper rattled off the rim’s top as the clock expired.

Giddey (16 points, 13 rebounds, 12 assists) achieved a triple-double while Jalen Williams notched a game-high 33 points for Oklahoma City, who emerged victorious for the sixth time in eight contests. Brunson tallied 30 points to lead New York.

Mavericks 125, Rockets 107

Luka Doncic equaled his personal best with nine 3-pointers and amassed 47 points as Dallas maintained their winning streak with a seventh consecutive victory, prevailing over Houston.

Doncic also grabbed 12 rebounds and distributed seven assists for the Mavericks, who had a lead of up to 29 points and terminated the Rockets’ 11-game winning streak. Kyrie Irving scored 24 points, Dante Exum contributed 13, and P.J. Washington added 12 for Dallas.

Jabari Smith Jr. matched his personal best with five 3-pointers and led Houston with 28 points. This defeat marked only the second one in 15 games during March for the Rockets.

Nuggets 130, Cavaliers 101

Nikola Jokic registered 26 points, 18 rebounds, and 16 assists, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored a season-high 22 points, and Denver triumphed over Cleveland at their home court.

Reggie Jackson and Michael Porter Jr. each contributed 19 points, while Christian Braun added 10 for the Nuggets, who put an end to a two-game losing streak at home.

Evan Mobley led the Cavaliers with 23 points, followed by Jarrett Allen with 19, Caris LeVert with 15 points, and Donovan Mitchell with 13 points in his second game back after missing six in a row due to a nasal injury.

Warriors 117, Spurs 113

Stephen Curry amassed 33 points and eight assists, with Draymond Green contributing 21 points, 11 assists, six rebounds, and six steals as Golden State overcame a depleted San Antonio in a late-season Western Conference showdown.

Klay Thompson scored 13 points, Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody added 12 and 10 points, respectively. The Warriors competed without Jonathan Kuminga (knee tendinitis) for the third consecutive game.

Victor Wembanyama amassed 32 points and nine rebounds for the Spurs. Cedi Osman scored 18 points, Zach Collins contributed 13, Malaki Branham and Tre Jones each notched 12 points, while Sandro Mamukelashvili accumulated 10 points and 11 rebounds.

76ers 135, Raptors 120

Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 32 points as Philadelphia set a franchise record with 24 made 3-pointers en route to victory against Toronto.

Former Raptors standout Kyle Lowry recorded 11 points and 10 assists for the 76ers, who put an end to a three-game losing streak and secured victory in five of their last six games. Cameron Payne added 24 points, Tobias Harris tallied 21, Nicolas Batum scored 19 points, and Buddy Hield chipped in 13 points.

The Raptors have now suffered 13 consecutive losses and were swept in the four-game series. Gary Trent Jr. scored 23 points for Toronto, while Jordan Nwora added 19, Bruce Brown and Kelly Olynyk contributed 18 each, Gradey Dick accumulated 12, and Javon Freeman-Liberty finished with 11.

Clippers 130, Hornets 118

Paul George excelled from beyond the arc with eight 3-pointers on his way to a season-best 41 points as Los Angeles secured another road victory against Charlotte.

Ivica Zubac tallied 24 points and 12 rebounds, while Kawhi Leonard contributed 23 points to support the Clippers, who secured their first three-game win streak since a four-game run from Jan. 31 to Feb. 5.

Miles Bridges led the scoring for Charlotte with 33 points, followed by Brandon Miller with 22 points. Despite shooting 50 percent from the field, the Hornets couldn’t match the offensive prowess of the Clippers, who led by as much as 19 points, preventing Charlotte from making substantial comebacks.

Lakers 116, Nets 104

LeBron James equaled a season high with 40 points, hitting nine 3-pointers to match a career-best mark as Los Angeles grabbed an early lead and maintained control throughout their triumph over Brooklyn in New York.

James secured his third 40-point game of the season by shooting an impressive 13-for-17 from the field, including a remarkable 9-for-10 from beyond the arc.

Cam Thomas tried to keep up with James by scoring 30 points, but the Nets saw their three-game win streak snapped. Trendon Watford contributed 15 points, while Dennis Schroder finished with 14 as Brooklyn shot 42.4 percent overall and 33.3 percent (12-for-36) from 3-point range after sinking 25 threes on Friday against the Chicago Bulls.

Heat 119, Wizards 107

Terry Rozier tallied 20 of his game-high 27 points in the first half, with Bam Adebayo adding 22 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists as Miami handed Washington their third consecutive loss.

Jimmy Butler contributed 17 points, seven rebounds, and four assists for the Heat, who currently trail Indiana by half a game for the sixth seed and the final guaranteed playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Nikola Jovic contributed 12 points and eight rebounds for Miami, while Haywood Highsmith added 10 points off the bench.

Jordan Poole led the Wizards with 22 points, followed by Anthony Gill with 18 points off the bench, and Deni Avdija finishing with 15 points, nine rebounds, and six assists.

Bulls 109, Wolves 101

DeMar DeRozan scored 27 points and distributed eight assists as Chicago withstood Minnesota in Minneapolis.

Alex Caruso added 21 points, going 7-for-8 from beyond the arc for the Bulls. Nikola Vucevic finished with 19 points, eight rebounds, and six assists.

Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Rudy Gobert also achieved a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds.

Kings 127, Jazz 106

Harrison Barnes and Keegan Murray combined for 49 points, DeAaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis registered double-doubles, and Sacramento broke a tie in the third quarter with a 15-0 surge to defeat Utah at home.

Murray recorded a game-high 25 points, while Barnes added 24 points for the Kings, who were playing their first game after learning about Malik Monk’s season-ending injury due to a sprained right MCL.

Brice Sensabaugh amassed a season-high 22 points, while Collin Sexton also contributed 22 for the Jazz, who suffered their ninth consecutive loss.