Thunder extend NBA winning streak to 13 as Celtics edge T-Wolves

Oklahoma City extended its NBA-best winning streak to 13 games with a home win Thursday, while the reigning champion Boston Celtics held on for a last-gasp victory in Minnesota.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a game-high 29 points and eight assists to spark the Thunder over the Los Angeles Clippers 116-98 in Oklahoma City, improving the Western Conference leaders to 28-5.

The Thunder’s streak is the longest since the team moved from Seattle after the 2007-08 season.

“It’s just being there, going day by day, working on ourselves and I think we’re doing a good job of that,” said Isaiah Hartenstein, who added 11 points, nine rebounds and six assists for the Thunder.

Oklahoma City trailed 52-48 at halftime, but outscored the Clippers 42-20 in the third quarter, and Los Angeles never closed the gap.

“We wanted to come out and just pick up the pressure,” Hartenstein said. “We didn’t play the way we wanted to, with the strength we wanted. We wanted to pressure them and I think we did a good job of that.”

In Minneapolis, the Celtics were without Jaylen Brown with a strained right shoulder and Kristaps Porzingis with a sprained ankle, but won for the third time in four games to start a difficult road trip, dispatching the Timberwolves 118-115.

Jayson Tatum sparked Boston with 33 points on 13-of-27 shooting, 6-of-17 from 3-point range and added eight rebounds and nine assists.

“No JB. No KP. We’ve had a tough stretch the last eight or nine games,” Tatum said. “So in January we will try to turn it around and return to our identity.

“What better way than to come in away in a tough environment against a really good team down to two of your best players and the way we responded, found a way to win, we’ll take that any day .”

The Celtics (25-9) committed just four turnovers while forcing 16 on the Timberwolves (17-16), who made it close by outscoring Boston 20-4 at the free throw line.

The T-Wolves led 35-28 after 12 minutes, matching their top-scoring first quarter of the season, but the Celtics led 62-51 at halftime.

Minnesota capped a 20-7 run with a 3-pointer by Donte DiVincenzo to pull even at 94-94 with 9:16 left.

DiVincenzo sank three free throws with 28 seconds left to pull the Timberwolves within 118-115, and Minnesota got the ball on a Tatum miss with 3.1 seconds left.

“Rule number one. If you leave it short, it never has a chance to go in,” Tatum said,

Anthony Edwards missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Boston the win.

“Just had to stick with it,” Tatum said of Boston’s defensive work. “They hit some tough shots. You’ve got to live with something, can’t take everything away. Stick to the game plan, compete.”

Derrick White added 26 points for Boston. Julius Randle led Minnesota with 27 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.

The Celtics began a four-game road swing against top clubs with future stops in Houston, Oklahoma City and Denver.

“I love the way we competed. Our physicality was on point. That’s what it takes,” Tatum said.

“We play four really good, difficult teams on the road. We will need everyone in these games.”

– Nets edge Bucks –

Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton scored 33 points and added 15 rebounds to lead the Pacers over host Miami 128-115. Myles Turner added 21 points and Pascal Siakam contributed 18 points and 11 rebounds for Indiana.

Brooklyn’s Cameron Johnson scored 26 points and Cam Thomas added 24 points off the bench as the Nets won 113-110 in Milwaukee.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 27 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists for the Bucks, while Damian Lillard added 23 points, but the Milwaukee Stars missed shots late to doom a late rally.

Lillard’s jumper pulled the Bucks within 111-110 with 37 seconds left, but after a Brooklyn turnover, Antetokounmpo missed a layup attempt and Ziaire Williams sank two free throws to give the Nets a 113-110 edge with six seconds left.

Lillard missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer.

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