Thunder, Sixers rally to keep perfect slates

LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Reigning National Basketball Association (NBA) champion Oklahoma City Thunder, fueled by 31 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, rallied to beat the Sacramento Kings, 107-101, on Tuesday to improve to 5-0 in the young season.

The Philadelphia 76ers also remained unbeaten, erasing a double-digit deficit to improve to 4-0 with a thrilling 139-134 overtime victory over the Wizards in Washington.

Gilgeous-Alexander, who was last season’s Most Valuable Player, NBA Finals MVP and league scoring leader, shook off a slow third quarter to score nine in the fourth as the Thunder rallied despite the absence of Chet Holmgren with a sore lower back.

Aaron Wiggins and Ajay Mitchell scored 18 points apiece and Lu Dort added 13 for Oklahoma City, who trailed by three going into the fourth quarter but finally took the lead for good, 99-97, on a Dort three-pointer with 2:33 to play.

“We did what it took to win,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.

The 76ers had an even bigger mountain to climb in Washington and they did it with guard Tyrese Maxey leading the way.

Maxey — whose two 40-point performances in the opening week of action were among the record-setting 16 in the first seven days of the season — scored 39 points and handed out 10 assists and big man Joel Embiid added 25 points before sitting out overtime.

Trailing by as many as 19 in the third quarter, the Sixers tied it at 126-126 on Quentin Grimes’s three-pointer with 38.7 seconds left in regulation.

After Kris Middleton missed at the buzzer they went to overtime, the 76ers taking a 132-131 lead on Adem Bona’s put-back dunk then building their cushion with three free throws from Maxey.

The Wizards closed within one point with 7.6 seconds left but a pair of free throws by Maxey and a steal and two free throws from Grimes sealed the victory.

“It was really amazing to be able to pull away with this one,” Bona said.

“We came together and put it together,” he said.

Grimes finished with 23 points off the bench and Bona blocked four shots in the fourth quarter and another in overtime in a definitive defensive performance.