Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has capped a 40-point performance with the last six points as Oklahoma City Thunder rallied to beat the Sacramento Kings and maintain pressure on the top two in the NBA's western conference.
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The Thunder (54-25) came from 20 points behind to win 112-105 at home on Tuesday night, clinching no worse than third seed in the west as they duel with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets for the top postseason spots.
A day after scoring 20 points in his 11th career triple double for the Thunder as they beat Charlotte, Australia's Josh Giddey had a much quieter night with just four points and three assists, shooting two of seven from the field.
All-Star Gilgeous-Alexander had missed six of the team's previous seven games with a bruised thigh, and the team went 2-4 without him.
In Minneapolis, Anthony Edwards scored a career-high 51 points as the Timberwolves beat Washington. They have a showdown at Denver on Wednesday with a potential No.1 seed at stake. Defending champions Denver beat Utah 11-95.
In Charlotte, league leading scorer Luka Doncic had 39 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists as his Dallas Mavericks continued their surge, beating the Charlotte Hornets 130-104 for their 15th win in 17 games.
Australia's Dante Exum came off the bench for 20 minutes for two points and three assists for the Mavericks (49-30), who are fifth in the west, while Daniel Gafford scored 26 points and Kyrie Irving added 18 points, nine assists and eight rebounds.
Fellow Australian Dyson Daniels played 28 points off the bench for four points with five assists and six rebounds for the New Orleans Pelicans in a pivotal 110-100 victory over the host Portland Trail Blazers.
Zion Williamson had 22 points and seven rebounds as New Orleans (47-32) moved into sixth place in the west, thanks to the Phoenix Suns losing to the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Pelicans have three games remaining as they look to hang on to the automatic playoff spot.
In Houston, Australian veteran Joe Ingles' New Orleans Pelicans (46-33) slipped to a damaging 118-106 loss against the host Rockets.
Orlando fell two games behind the Milwaukee Bucks for the second seed in the eastern conference with three games remaining.
Ingles' countryman, centre Jock Landale, had eight points coming off the bench for the Rockets (38-40) who snapped a season-worst five-game skid.
The Magic will play in Milwaukee on Wednesday.
There was plenty of concern in the Milwaukee camp as superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo suffered a strained calf in a 104-91 win over the Boston Celtics.
Bucks coach Doc Rivers said after the game that two-time MVP Antetokounmpo was undergoing an MRI on his calf and also would have his Achilles tendon tested. Rivers was asked about his concern level with the playoffs looming.
"High, I would say that," Rivers said. "He's Giannis. I think everyone probably feels the same way as I do right now. We're just going to hope for the best."
The Celtics had already clinched the NBA's best regular-season record and No. 1 overall playoff seed.
Elsewhere Golden State beat the Los Angeles Lakers 134-120, Miami beat Atlanta 117-11, the New York Knicks defeated Chicago 128-117 and San Antonio downed Memphis 102-87.
Australian Associated Press
