SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER scored 47 points to lift the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 114-110 overtime win over the short-handed Detroit Pistons at home on Monday.

The win was a critical one for the Thunder, who stayed 2 1/2 games ahead of San Antonio for the top spot in the Western Conference and reached the 60-win mark for the second consecutive season.

The Pistons’ two-game win streak was snapped, though they remained four games ahead of Boston after the Celtics also lost on Monday. Detroit (54-21) was short-handed, playing without its top five scorers and one regular starter.

But the Pistons fought back from an early deficit to hang in there with Oklahoma City, thanks in large part to a 16-4 advantage in second-chance points.

The Thunder, on a second night of a back-to-back, were without starters Jalen Williams and Isaiah Hartenstein.

Gilgeous-Alexander opened overtime with a step-back jumper, found Alex Caruso for a corner 3-pointer with just more than a minute remaining and then hit six free throws in the final minute.

Gilgeous-Alexander was 21 of 25 from the free-throw line, his second-most free-throw attempts of his career.

Detroit had struggled from the free-throw line, missing 11 free throws by the time Paul Reed stepped to the line with 31.2 seconds to play.

Gilgeous-Alexander appeared to put the Thunder ahead in the closing seconds after his steal gave Oklahoma City the ball back with time winding down.

He elevated for a step-back 3-pointer, draining the shot with four seconds left but was called for an offensive foul for pushing off to create space for the shot.

Daniss Jenkins’ 3-point try at the buzzer was online but bounced off the back of the rim to send the game into overtime.

The Pistons didn’t take their first lead until Kevin Huerter’s transition 3-pointer just less than five minutes into the fourth after Ronald Holland III’s steal on the other end to create the chance.

Back-to-back Gilgeous-Alexander buckets put Oklahoma City back in front following Huerter’s 3-pointer, but the Pistons responded with a 10-1 run to take a 97-90 lead.

The Thunder responded quickly, with six consecutive points by Gilgeous-Alexander.

Reed led Detroit with 21 points and 10 rebounds.

NBA APPROVES SALE OF TRAIL BLAZERS TO TOM DUNDON-LED GROUP
The NBA Board of Governors approved the sale of the Portland Trail Blazers from the estate of Paul Allen to a group led by Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon, the league announced on Monday.

Valued at approximately $4.25 billion, the transaction will be a two-part deal, with 80.1% being bought this week, closing by March 31, and the remaining 19.9% to close no later than Sept. 1, 2028, according to multiple reports.

Under the agreement, the team will remain in Portland, and Dundon will serve as the Trail Blazers’ governor.

At least two members of the ownership group have connections to Oregon. Sheel Tyle is the founder of Collective Global, based in Portland. And Peggy Cherng, part of the family that owns Panda Express restaurants, attended Oregon State. — Reuters

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