The Youngest Team in the NBA Reaches the Playoffs
Canadian star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led his team, Oklahoma City Thunder, to the playoffs with a 118-112 victory over defending champions Boston Celtics in the NBA. Thanks to his 34 points, Oklahoma City secured their spot in the postseason and he continued to solidify his place as one of the top contenders for the MVP award.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 11 of 20 attempts, achieving 34 points, along with 7 assists and 5 rebounds. He also successfully made 10 of 11 free throws.
With this win, Oklahoma City now has 54 victories and 12 losses, officially confirming their playoff berth next month.
The Thunder, the youngest team in the league by average age, showed great mental strength, securing the win in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. Cason Wallace nailed a deep three-pointer to extend the lead to 11 points with two minutes left.
In addition to Gilgeous-Alexander’s offensive brilliance, Chet Holmgren also stood out, registering a “double-double” with 23 points and 15 rebounds.
Gilgeous-Alexander praised his team’s defense for limiting Boston’s stars, as well as his teammate Holmgren, saying, “We all know what kind of player Chet Holmgren is. He’s a star, and he’ll be a star for a long time. He’ll keep developing and become even more special.”
With this performance, it’s clear that Oklahoma City has the tools for a strong playoff run as they chase their first-ever championship since 1979 when the team was known as the Seattle SuperSonics. Despite missing Jalen Williams, Thunder finished the game with seven players scoring more than 10 points.
On the other hand, Boston’s Jayson Tatum led his team with 33 points, and Derrick White added 22 points, but Jaylen Brown struggled, scoring only 5 of 15 attempts before fouling out with 3:36 left in the game.
Boston’s head coach Joe Mazzulla acknowledged that his team couldn’t match the physicality imposed by Oklahoma, saying, “At many moments, we were up to the challenge, but at some points, we weren’t, and I think that was the difference in the game.”
Phoenix’s Playoff Hopes Dwindle
Phoenix Suns saw their playoff hopes diminish with a 104-111 loss to Houston Rockets, leaving them in 11th place in the Western Conference with 30 wins and 36 losses.
Meanwhile, Dallas Mavericks are in 10th place with 33 wins and 34 losses after losing 116-126 to the San Antonio Spurs.
Memphis Grizzlies strengthened their third-place position in the West with a 42nd win of the season, defeating the Utah Jazz 122-115.
In Denver, despite a stellar 34-point performance from Nikola Jokic, the Denver Nuggets fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves 115-95, with Anthony Edwards scoring 29 points and Julius Randle adding 25.
In other results, the Miami Heat lost at home to the Los Angeles Clippers 104-119, while the Atlanta Hawks defeated the Charlotte Hornets 123-110, and the Toronto Raptors triumphed over the Philadelphia 76ers 118-105.
The New York Knicks needed overtime to secure a 114-113 win against the Portland Trail Blazers.
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