OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points in three quarters and the Oklahoma City Thunder rolled past the Portland Trail Blazers 124-95 on Wednesday night for their third straight win.
Ajay Mitchell scored 17 points off the bench, and Jalen Williams had 13 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Chet Holmgren added 12 points, 10 rebounds and a season-high six blocks for Oklahoma City (29-5), which made 44 of 90 shots (48.9%) and converted 25 Portland turnovers into 28 points.
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Portland Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe (17) pushes past Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)
Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (8) shoots over Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace shoots during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, left, drives past Portland Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, left, shoots in front of Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)
Gilgeous-Alexander sank 11 of 15 field goals and all seven of his foul shots. He scored at least 20 points for the 105th consecutive game. Mitchell, meanwhile, hit all four of his field goal attempts and all eight free throws.
Two-way player Sidy Cissoko scored 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting for Portland (14-20). Deni Avdija had 17 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, and Shaedon Sharpe added 14 points.
Oklahoma City scored 38 points in the first quarter but couldn't shake the Trail Blazers, who scored 30 and made six of seven 3-point shots.
The Thunder increased the lead to 60-44 on a short jumper by Williams midway through the second before Portland countered with nine straight points. That's when Gilgeous-Alexander took over, scoring nine points during a 13-2 run that put Oklahoma City up 73-55 at halftime.
The defending NBA champions extended the advantage to 86-60 on a layup by Gilgeous-Alexander, who sat out the fourth quarter. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Cason Wallace and Isaiah Joe early in the fourth made it 106-78.
Trail Blazers: Visit the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday.
Thunder: Visit the Golden State Warriors on Friday.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
Portland Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe (17) pushes past Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)
Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (8) shoots over Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace shoots during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, left, drives past Portland Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, left, shoots in front of Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — From Paris to Dubai to Sydney, crowds began ringing in the new year with exuberant celebrations filled with thunderous fireworks or jet skis, while others took a more subdued approach.
A countdown to midnight was projected onto the Arc de Triomphe in Paris and Russians celebrated in snowy Moscow. In Japan, temple bells rang and some climbed mountains to see the year's first sunrise and a light show with somersaulting jet skis twinkled in Dubai.
In Rio de Janeiro, revelers packed more than 4 kilometers (2 1/2 miles) of the city’s Copacabana Beach for concerts and a 12-minute fireworks show, despite high tides that had both organizers and tourists worried and large waves that rocked barges carrying fireworks.
Other events were more subdued. Hong Kong held limited celebrations following a recent fire at an apartment complex that killed 161 people. Australia saluted the new year with defiance less than a month after its worst mass shooting in almost 30 years.
A heavy police presence monitored crowds watching fireworks in Sydney. Many officers openly carried rapid-fire rifles, a first for the event, after two gunmen targeted a Hannukah celebration at Bondi Beach on Dec. 14, killing 15.
An hour before midnight, victims were commemorated with a minute of silence, and the crowd was invited to show solidarity with Australia’s Jewish community.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns had urged residents not to stay away from festivities, saying extremists would interpret smaller crowds as a victory: “We have to show defiance in the face of this terrible crime."
Indonesia scaled back festivities in solidarity with communities devastated by floods and landslides in parts of Sumatra a month ago that killed over 1,100. Fireworks on the tourist island of Bali were replaced with traditional dances.
Hong Kong rang in 2026 without fireworks over Victoria Harbor after the massive fire in November. Facades of landmarks were turned into countdown clocks and a light show at midnight.
And in Gaza, Palestinians said they hope the new year brings an end to the conflict between Israel and Hamas. “The war humiliated us,” said Mirvat Abed Al-Aal, displaced from the southern city of Rafah.
Pope Leo XIV closed out the year with a plea for the city of Rome to welcome foreigners and the fragile. Fireworks erupted over European landmarks, from the Colosseum in Rome to the London Eye.
In Paris, revelers converged around the glittering Champs-Élysées avenue. Taissiya Girda, a 27-year-old tourist from Kazakhstan, expressed hope for a calmer 2026.
“I would like to see happy people around me, no war anywhere,” she said. “Russia, Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, I want everybody to be happy and in peace."
In Scotland, where New Year’s is known as Hogmanay, First Minister John Swinney urged Scots to follow the message of “Auld Lang Syne” by national poet Robert Burns and show small acts of kindness.
Greece and Cyprus turned down the volume, replacing traditional fireworks with low-noise pyrotechnics in capitals. Officials said the change is intended to make celebrations more welcoming for children and pets.
Police in New York City planned additional anti-terrorism measures at the Times Square ball drop, with “mobile screening teams.” It was not in response to a specific threat, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
After the ball drops it will rise again, sparkling in red, white and blue, to mark the country’s upcoming 250th birthday. And Zohran Mamdani was taking office as mayor following a private ceremonial event around midnight in an old subway station.
Saaliq reported from New Delhi, India. Associated Press writers around the world contributed to this report.
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Drones light up the night sky to celebrate the New Year in Busan, South Korea, early Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (Kang Sun-bae/Yonhap via AP)
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People pose for photographs at Lan Kwai Fong to celebrate the start of 2026 in the Central district of Hong Kong, on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)
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Fireworks burst over the Sydney Harbour Bridge as New Year's celebrations begin in Sydney, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
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