SGA closes in on Chamberlain's record in a hard-fought Thunder win

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA) scored 29 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the New Orleans Pelicans 104-95, a game that ended with a brawl between players as Gilgeous-Alexander closed in on a record held by Wilt Chamberlain.

After two unexpected back-to-back losses, the Thunder needed to fight much harder than expected to beat the Pelicans, who are last in the Western Conference. The team led by Zion Williamson, who had 21 points and 11 rebounds, put the reigning champions on edge all night, determined to avoid a third consecutive loss on their home court at all costs.

The tension on the Paycom Center court led to several incidents in the final stretch of the game. With just over a minute left on the clock, forward Saddiq Bey (Pelicans) and center Jaylin Williams (Thunder) shoved each other before a layup. Both had to be separated and received a technical foul each.

On the final play, Oklahoma City's Canadian guard Lu Dort pushed and grabbed the jersey of Pelicans rookie Jeremiah Fears, who was attempting a last-second layup. Coaches and substitutes rushed off the benches to prevent the situation from escalating.

Chet Holmgren had one of his best performances of the season with 20 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks, being a key support for the reigning NBA MVP. Gilgeous-Alexander, meanwhile, scored 29 points and has 118 consecutive games with at least 20 points.

The league's reigning MVP has another nine games left to surpass the record of 126 games with at least 20 points set by Wilt Chamberlain between 1961 and 1963.

Brunson untangles Knicks

In New York, the Knicks also ground out a 103-87 win over the visiting Sacramento Kings. The game was tight until the fourth quarter, when the hosts pulled away with a 31-15 run led by captain Jalen Brunson.

All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson finished with 28 points, and Dominican-American center Karl-Anthony Towns added 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Knicks. Veteran DeMar DeRozan scored a game-high 34 points for the Kings, who are near the bottom of the Western Conference.

The Knicks, with three straight wins, moved past the Raptors into third place in the Eastern Conference.

Paul George reigns supreme

The resurrection of the day came from veteran Paul George in the Philadelphia 76ers 132-117 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. The 35-year-old forward recovered inspiration with 32 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 9 three-pointers, one shy of his personal record.

Paul George thus achieved his best performance in a year in which he has handed his share of Sixers leadership to young Tyrese Maxey (22 points) and VJ Edgecombe (10 points).

Cameroon's Joel Embiid punished the Bucks, doomed by an injury to Giannis Antetokounmpo, with 29 points.