Coast-to-coast: Thunder break through vs Spurs; short-handed Timberwolves stay red-hot

Persistence paid off for the OKC Thunder. 

After three unsuccessful tries, the defending champions toppled the Spurs for their elusive first win of the season against San Antonio to lead a solid seven-game NBA midweek lineup.

THUNDER BREAK THROUGH OVER SPURS; TWOLVES STAY ROLLING

• OKC Thunder (34-7) def. San Antonio Spurs (27-13), 119-98: MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the defending champion Thunder finally secured a win over the Spurs after three-straight losses behind a dominant performance at home.  

[RELATED: NBA: Champion Thunder finally crack Spurs riddle in West heavyweight clash]

• Minnesota Timberwolves (27-14) def. Milwaukee Bucks (17-23), 139-106: Missing key stars Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert, the Timberwolves leaned on Julius Randle’s 29 points to dispatch the Bucks.

Minnesota also set season highs with 22 three-pointers and 59.8% shooting, marking their sixth victory in seven outings.

• LA Lakers (24-14) def. Atlanta Hawks (20-22), 141-116: With a 58-point combined explosion from LeBron James and Luka Doncic, the Lakers overwhelmed the Hawks to end a three-game skid in style. 

[RELATED: NBA: LeBron, Luka power Lakers out of slump, dismantle Hawks]

• Houston Rockets (23-14) def. Chicago Bulls (18-21), 119-113: Kevin Durant paced three 20-point Rocket scorers with 28 against the Hawks, putting the brakes on their own three-game slump. 

[RELATED: NBA: Kevin Durant pace Rockets 'Big 3' vs Bulls to snap three-game slide]

• Miami Heat (21-19) def. Phoenix Suns (24-16), 127-121: Even after letting a 20-point lead slip, the Heat leaned on Bam Adebayo’s clutch baskets late to finish off the pesky Suns.

• Denver Nuggets (27-13) def. New Orleans Pelicans (9–33), 122-116: Jamal Murray poured in 35 points and handed out nine assists as the Nuggets handled the hard-charging Pelicans. 

Payton Watson chipped in 31 points, including the clutch go-ahead basket with under 40 seconds left, lifting Denver to a tie with the Spurs for the second-best record in the West.

• Golden State Warriors (22-19) def. Portland Trail Blazers (19–22), 119-97: With superstar Stephen Curry held to a rare low of seven points, De’Anthony Melton took over and scored 23 as the Warriors cruised to a dominant win. 

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Pao Ambat earned his journalism degree from Cavite State University in 2022.

Passionate about sports from a young age, he primarily covers the NBA for One Sports, while also assisting in reporting on the PVL, PBA, UAAP, and other leagues.