The NBA’s busiest Tuesday produced three headline stories: Oklahoma City remained unbeaten behind another historic night from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Golden State head coach Steve Kerr pre-emptively benched an ailing Stephen Curry for Wednesday, and San Antonio’s climb in ESPN’s power rankings took a hit with rookie Dylan Harper facing weeks on the sideline.
Thunder 126, Clippers 107
Oklahoma City rallied from a 13-point first-quarter deficit at the Intuit Dome to defeat Los Angeles and move to 8-0. Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 30 points, 12 assists and four rebounds, pushing his streak of 20-plus-point regular-season games to 80—second in league history behind only Wilt Chamberlain.
James Harden scored 17 of his 23 points in the opening period as the Clippers surged ahead 33-20, but the Thunder responded with a 33-24 second quarter, put up 38 in the third and pulled away late. Gilgeous-Alexander credited “daily consistency” and added that the scoring run is not a topic inside the locker room.
Curry to Rest vs. Kings
After a 28-point effort in Tuesday’s 118-107 win over Phoenix, Curry was coughing through his post-game news conference and admitted he “was running on fumes.” Kerr immediately ruled him out for Wednesday’s meeting with Sacramento, saying the guard is “wiped out” following illness and extensive travel. Golden State hopes the extra night off will have Curry ready for Friday’s matchup in Denver.
Spurs Hit No. 2 in Rankings, Lose Harper
ESPN placed San Antonio second in its latest power rankings—its highest position in years—citing Harper’s impact. The No. 2 overall draft pick is averaging 14.0 points on 50 percent shooting with nearly four assists in 23 minutes a game, ranking fourth on the roster in scoring. However, the 19-year-old strained his left calf during Sunday’s loss to Phoenix and is expected to miss multiple weeks, jeopardizing the Spurs’ pursuit of a third consecutive Rookie of the Year award.
Source: Hoops Wire
