OKLAHOMA City Thunder completed a sweep of Memphis Grizzlies with a 117-115 victory in Game 4 of the NBA Western Conference first round series on Saturday night (Sunday in the Philippines) at the FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee.
Tournament MVP favorite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander spearheaded the offense with 38 points to go with six assists and five rebounds as the Thunder wrapped up the best-of-seven series at 4-0, moving on to the division semifinals.
Jalen Williams added 23 points, including two three-pointers, Isaiah Hartenstein posted a double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds, while Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Joe ended with 11 apiece for the Thunder.
The game was close through three quarters with the Thunder clinging to an 88-85 lead before they widened it to 102-92 following a three-pointer by Williams with over five minutes left.
The Grizzlies still tried to mount a late comeback as they managed to trim the deficit to 114-116 with eight seconds left following a three-point conversion from Desmond Bane.
Williams split a pair of free throws with six seconds left and the Thunder intentionally fouled Bane. He made the first but Memphis could not rebound his intentional miss of the second.
Scotty Pippen Jr. matched his career high with 30 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, while Bane and Santi Aldama had 23 points apiece dor Memphis, which played without star guard Ja Morant due to bruised left hip.
Meanwhile, Aaron Gordon scored on a two-handed dunk at the buzzer as Denver Nuggets escaped with a 101-99 Game 4 win over Los Angeles Clippers, tying their best-of-seven series at 2-2.
With the score tied at 99-all, Gordon grabbed a missed three-point attempt and converted a two-handed dunk at the buzzer to secure the win for the Nuggets, which led by as many as 20 points in the third quarter.
Gordon finished with 14 points, six rebounds, and five assists, Jokic tallied a near triple-double of 36 points, 21 rebounds, and eight assists, while Michael Porter Jr. and Christian Braun tallied 17 apiece for Denver.
Meanwhile, Cleveland Cavaliers cruised to a dominant 124-87 Game 3 win over Miami Heat for a commanding 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference series. Jarrett Allen led the Cavaliers with 22 points.
Golden State Warriors took a 2-1 lead in their West series after a 104-93 Game 3 victory over Houston Rockets. Stephen Curry spearheaded the offense with 36 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds for the Warriors.
In other results, Minnesota Timberwolves surged to a 2-1 lead in their series with a 116-104 Game 4 win over Los Angeles Lakers. Jalen McDaniels top-scored for the T’Wolves with 30 points.
Orlando Magic and Milwaukee Bucks trimmed their East first round series deficits to 1-2 after separate Game 3 wins against Boston Celtics (95-93) and Indiana Pacers (117-101), respectively./PN
BOX SCORE:
OKLAHOMA CITY 117 — Gilgeous-Alexander 38, Jal. Williams 23, Hartenstein 11, Holmgren 11, Joe 11, Wiggins 9, Caruso 6, Dort 4, Wallace, Jay. Williams 0, K. Williams 0.
MEMPHIS 115 — Pippen 30, Aldama 23, Bane 23, Jackson 12, Williams 11, Edey 8, Kennard 4, Konchar 4, Huff 0, Stevens 0.
Quarterscores: 34-31, 60-59, 88-85, 117-115.
