Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hit the game-winning shot from the corner with 2.6 seconds remaining, leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to secure a playoff spot for the first time since 2020 with a narrow 113-112 win over the New York Knicks on Sunday night.
Josh Giddey contributed with 16 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists for Oklahoma City, who reclaimed the top spot in the Western Conference standings at 52-22 with their consecutive victory.
“It’s a great achievement for the team and the organization,” said Thunder coach Mark Daigneault. “Now, we need to keep improving as we head into the final stretch of the season.”
This marked Giddey’s third triple-double of his career, all against the Knicks. He scored 12 points in the fourth quarter, during which the Thunder outscored the Knicks 38-27.
Jalen Williams led all scorers with 33 points, while Gilgeous-Alexander added 19. Jalen Brunson scored 30 points for the Knicks but missed a potential game-winning shot at the buzzer.
After trailing 111-110 with 18 seconds left, Brunson made a layup to give the Knicks the lead. However, Gilgeous-Alexander responded with a clutch turnaround jumper over McBride to secure the win for the Thunder. The Knicks suffered back-to-back losses, with Hartenstein expressing disappointment over missing key shots in both games.
