NBA: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander comes back to beat Knicks in Thunder win

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a key three-pointer to secure a tight 103-100 victory Oklahoma City Thunder against the New York Knicks NBA.

The result extended the reigning Most Valuable Player's flawless record at Madison Square Garden against the Knicks to 7-0 and also represented the fourth straight win for the Thunder, which consolidated its lead at the top of the Western Conference.

"We got the game back on track in the fourth quarter and were able to give ourselves a chance," said Gilgeous-Alexander, who closed the night with 26 points and eight assists. "At the end of the game, you just have to find a way. I made plays. The guys made plays. And we still got the win."

Oklahoma City carried the initiative for much of the game, driven by the outstanding performance of Chet Holmgren, top scorer with 28 points, 22 of them in a brilliant first half.

The Knicks, on the other hand, were limited to just 40 points before halftime due to the Thunder's stifling defense, while home star Jalen Brunson barely scored twice under intense defensive pressure.

However, New York reacted after halftime and scored another 40 points in the third quarter alone. A three-pointer by the now more accurate Brunson tied the score and ignited the Garden crowd.

Holmgren: "There's no better place to do it than Mecca"

The Knicks even pulled ahead in the final minutes, though the lead was short-lived. Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren spearheaded Oklahoma City's comeback to regain control of the game.

With just over a minute to go, a layup by Gilgeous-Alexander opened a seven-point deficit. Brunson managed to cut it to three, but with six seconds left his three-point attempt to even the score fell short.

"It's always great to come out with a win. There's no better place to do it than Mecca," Holmgren said.

The win leaves the defending champions with the league's best record, 49-15, with a three-and-a-half-game lead over the San Antonio Spurs as they begin to focus on the final stretch heading into the playoffs.

"We have to get in shape, because we're going to need everybody for this playoff run," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "And then we just have to keep doing what we're doing. We have to stick together. We have to be the team we've been for the last year and a half."

Boston loss to streaking Hornets.

The Knicks remain third in the Eastern Conference and did not lose ground on the second-place Boston Celtics, who fell by 118-89 to the Charlotte Hornets, a team currently on a strong run.

Rookie Kon Knueppel contributed 20 points in another standout performance for Charlotte, while 29 scoring from Derrick White wasn't enough for Boston.

It was the Hornets' sixth straight win by 15 points or more, the second-longest such streak in NBA history.