Gilgeous-Alexander scores 29 and NBA-best Thunder beat Pelicans 104-95 to stop 2-game skid

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 29 points and the short-handed Oklahoma City Thunder beat the New Orleans Pelicans 104-95 on Tuesday night to avoid their first three-game skid of the season.

Chet Holmgren had 20 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks for NBA-best Oklahoma City (38-10), which had lost back-to-back home games for the first time this season. Isaiah Joe added 17 points.

The Thunder were missing starters Jalen Williams, Isaiah Hartenstein and Cason Wallace and key reserve Alex Caruso with injuries.

Gilgeous-Alexander shot 8 of 22 from the field but went 13 of 14 from the foul line. He scored at least 20 points for the 118th consecutive game, the second-longest streak in NBA history.

Zion Williamson led New Orleans with 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting and 11 rebounds. Saddiq Bey added 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Pelicans, who had won two straight.

Tempers flared in the closing minutes. First, Bey and Jaylin Williams got tangled up and were assessed technical fouls. With 9 seconds left, Jeremiah Fears, who played in college at Oklahoma, and Lu Dort grabbed each other’s jerseys before being separated. Fears then ran after Dort and players from both teams had to be separated.

The Thunder missed their first eight shots while New Orleans started 1 of 9.

Dort's 3-pointer with 10.9 seconds left in the second quarter gave the Thunder a 48-46 lead at halftime.

The Thunder took a 74-64 lead on a 3-pointer by Holmgren with 3:38 left in the third. A 3 by Dort made it 88-73.

The Pelicans went on a 14-2 run capped by Fears' 22-foot bank shot to cut the lead to 92-87. Dort's fourth 3-pointer made it 98-87 with 3:26 remaining.

Pelicans: Host Memphis on Friday night.

Thunder: At Minnesota on Thursday night.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

New Orleans Pelicans guard/forward Saddiq Bey (41) goes for the free ball against Oklahoma City Thunder forward Ousmane Dieng (13) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Gerald Leong)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe (11) gestures against the New Orleans Pelicans during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Gerald Leong)

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jaylin Williams (6) shoots against New Orleans Pelicans center Derik Queen (22) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Gerald Leong)

Oklahoma City Thunder center/forward Chet Holmgren (7) shoots against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Gerald Leong)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives against New Orleans Pelicans forward Herbert Jones (2) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Gerald Leong)

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Kirill Kaprizov scored the shootout winner as the Minnesota Wild defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 on Tuesday night.

Kaprizov was Minnesota's second shooter and beat Spencer Knight with a wrist shot. Wild goalie Jesper Wallstedt stopped all three shootout attempts as the Wild came back from a 3-0 deficit to beat Chicago for the 17th time in 18 games.

Yakov Trenin, Joel Eriksson Ek and Jared Spurgeon scored for Minnesota. Wallstedt stopped 29 of 32 shots.

Teuvo Teravainen, Ryan Donato and Ilya Mikheyev scored for Chicago. Knight made 20 saves.

The Blackhawks took a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals by Teravainen and Donato.

Mikheyev made it 3-0 nearly six minutes into the second period, when he beat Wallstedt with a wrist shot.

Trenin began the Minnesota comeback when he broke in alone and beat Knight with a wrist shot at 12:33 of the second.

Minnesota cut the Chicago lead to 3-2 early in the third when Quinn Hughes fired a shot that hit Marcus Johansson's skate and deflected to Erikson Ek, who got his stick down in time to tap it into the net.

Spurgeon knocked in a rebound of an Eriksson Ek shot to tie it with 2:01 to play in the third. The goal came after Minnesota had killed its fourth Chicago power play of the game. The Wild also killed a power play in overtime.

Blackhawks: At Pittsburgh on Thursday.

Wild: Host Calgary on Thursday.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Chicago Blackhawks center Ryan Donato (8) celebrates after scoring a goal during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Minnesota Wild, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Chicago Blackhawks right wing Ilya Mikheyev (95), left, celebrates with defenseman Artyom Levshunov (55) after scoring a goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Minnesota Wild, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek (14) and Chicago Blackhawks left wing Tyler Bertuzzi (59) battle for the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Chicago Blackhawks right wing Ilya Mikheyev (95) and Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber (7) reach for the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)