Overview
- A late 7-0 run capped by Darius Garland’s three-point play with 50.4 seconds remaining gave the Los Angeles Clippers a 113-112 win over Oklahoma City.
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 40 points and had a final attempt at the buzzer, but his 21-foot jumper did not fall and the Thunder lost their third straight game.
- The Thunder remain severely shorthanded following injuries to starters Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace that have sidelined each player since late October.
- Oklahoma City recalled Nikola Topić from the OKC Blue and he made his season debut, immediately delivering an alley-oop to Isaiah Hartenstein, while Ajay Mitchell was listed questionable with a left ankle sprain and did not play.
- The loss complicates the Thunder’s NBA Cup Group B outlook and forces heavier minutes and playmaking responsibilities onto Gilgeous-Alexander and remaining rotation players as the team travels to Sacramento next.