CHET Holmgren matched a career high by sinking six three-pointers and finished with 28 points and eight rebounds to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a narrow 103-100 victory over the New York Knicks on Wednesday night (Thursday, March 5, 2026, PH time).
According to a report by the Associated Press (AP), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 26 points, while Lu Dort added 16 for Oklahoma City.
The Thunder recovered after the Knicks erupted for a 40-point third quarter to briefly take the lead. Oklahoma City responded early in the fourth period and managed to protect a slim advantage the rest of the way.
New York had a chance to force overtime in the final seconds, but Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby both missed potential game-tying three-point attempts. The win was the Thunder’s fourth straight and ended the Knicks’ three-game winning streak.
Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 17 points and 17 rebounds for New York. Brunson had 16 points and a season-high 15 assists but struggled with his shooting, going 5-of-18 from the field. Anunoby also scored 16 points.
The AP reported that the first meeting of the season between the defending NBA champions and a Knicks team that fell two wins short of reaching the NBA Finals was played with playoff-like intensity.
New York believed officials missed what should have been Gilgeous-Alexander’s third foul in the opening quarter after he collided with Brunson. The incident led to a technical foul on Knicks coach Mike Brown, his first with the team.
Oklahoma City appeared in control when it built a 63-48 lead with 8:45 remaining in the third quarter. However, the Knicks stormed back with a 24-9 run, capped by Brunson’s three-pointer that bounced kindly off the rim to tie the score. Mikal Bridges later drilled a three-pointer with 1.2 seconds left in the period to give New York an 80-77 edge.
Holmgren led the Thunder early, scoring 14 points in the first quarter. The 7-foot-1 forward knocked down four three-pointers and shot 5-of-7 overall, with his only two misses coming on jump shots that were blocked.
Oklahoma City built a 44-31 lead but went scoreless for five minutes, allowing the Knicks to close the gap. Holmgren ended the drought with two three-pointers in the final 46 seconds of the half as the Thunder took a 50-40 lead into the break.
76ers 106, Jazz 102
Quentin Grimes made two crucial free throws with 16.4 seconds left as the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Utah Jazz, 106-102.
According to AP, Tyrese Maxey led Philadelphia with 25 points, while Jabari Walker added 22 and Grimes finished with 16.
Keyonte George scored 30 points for Utah, which has now lost seven consecutive games.
Philadelphia trailed 100-94 with 4:51 remaining after George hit a three-pointer, but the Jazz went cold down the stretch, missing their next six field-goal attempts. The 76ers tied the game at 100 when Adem Bona converted a follow dunk with 1:50 left.
Utah briefly regained the lead on Isaiah Collier’s layup with 1:04 remaining, but Grimes answered with a driving basket to tie the score before sinking the go-ahead free throws after being fouled.
The AP added that Jazz coach Will Hardy chose not to call a timeout on Utah’s final possession. Kyle Filipowski had a wide-open three-point attempt but missed.
Blazers 122, Grizzlies 114
Jrue Holiday scored 35 points and dished out 11 assists, while Jerami Grant added 30 points as the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Memphis Grizzlies, 122-114.
According to AP, Portland used a 24-19 run in the final nine minutes to secure the victory and snap a two-game losing streak.
Robert Williams III contributed 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Trail Blazers, while Matisse Thybulle added three rebounds, one assist, and one steal on his 29th birthday.
Memphis had seven players score in double figures but still dropped its second straight game and ninth in its last 12 outings. The Grizzlies were playing the second night of a back-to-back after losing 117-110 to Minnesota on Tuesday.
Elsewhere, Charlotte defeated Boston 118-89, Atlanta beat Milwaukee 131-113, and the Los Angeles Clippers routed the Indiana Pacers 130-107. / LBG