OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 20 points and 10 assists, and the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-103 on Sunday for their eighth straight win.
Gilgeous-Alexander barely extended his record streak of games with at least 20 points to 128. He had just 10 points heading into the fourth, and he re-entered the game with 7:10 left after resting.
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Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, right, looks for an opening past Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren, left, and guard Ajay Mitchell, center, during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, March 15, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, right, looks for an opening past Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren, left, and guard Ajay Mitchell, center, during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, March 15, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle, right, pushes past Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein, left, during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, March 15, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jaylin Williams, bottom, keeps the ball away from Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle, top, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, March 15, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)
Oklahoma City Thunder Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, left, pushes past Minnesota Timberwolves guard Ayo Dosunmu, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, March 15, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, right, pushes past Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, March 15, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)
He scored on a stepback against Anthony Edwards with 1:46 remaining and was fouled to reach 19 points. With the crowd standing and chanting “M-V-P!” he drained the free throw to keep the streak alive and push himself further past Wilt Chamberlain's old mark of 126.
Chet Holmgren had 21 points and nine rebounds and Isaiah Joe added 20 points for the Thunder, who improved to a league-best 53-15.
Julius Randle scored 32 points and Edwards added 19 for the Timberwolves.
The Thunder forced 22 turnovers while committing just seven. Oklahoma City attempted 101 shots while Minnesota tried 77.
Oklahoma City ran out to a 9-0 lead and held the Timberwolves scoreless for nearly three minutes at the start.
Minnesota recovered and led 53-47 at halftime. Gilgeous-Alexander scored just four points on 2-for-10 shooting before the break.
Minnesota pushed its lead to 68-59 midway through the third quarter before the Thunder rallied. A 3-pointer by Jaylin Williams that bounced before going in gave Oklahoma City a 78-73 edge, and the Thunder took an 80-76 lead into the fourth.
Oklahoma City took control early in the final period. Jared McCain caught a no-look, behind-the-back pass from Isaiah Hartenstein and drained a 3-pointer to give Oklahoma City a 91-80 lead. The two connected again, this time with Hartenstein's two-handed pass bouncing between his legs and behind him. McCain's 3 put the Thunder ahead 94-81.
Timberwolves: Host Phoenix on Tuesday.
Thunder: Visit Orlando on Tuesday.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, right, looks for an opening past Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren, left, and guard Ajay Mitchell, center, during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, March 15, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle, right, pushes past Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein, left, during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, March 15, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jaylin Williams, bottom, keeps the ball away from Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle, top, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, March 15, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)
Oklahoma City Thunder Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, left, pushes past Minnesota Timberwolves guard Ayo Dosunmu, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, March 15, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, right, pushes past Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, March 15, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)
MONTREAL (AP) — Gage Goncalves scored off his own rebound at 9:03 of overtime and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Montreal Canadiens 1-0 on Friday night to force a Game 7 in the first-round series.
Goncalves scored soon after the Lightning killed scoring star Nikita Kucherov's penalty for tripping Alexandre Carrier.
“It was thrilling. It was epic,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “It was goaltenders making extraordinary saves, players doing things that were of grace and skill and magic. And there was intensity. There were hits. It was everything. And there wasn’t a goal scored, yet everybody in the building was on the edge of their seats.”
Game 7 is Sunday in Tampa. The Lightning are trying to avoid a fourth consecutive first-round exit, while the Canadiens are chasing their first series victory in five years.
The series winner will face Buffalo. The Sabres wrapped up their series with Boston in six games Friday night with a 4-1 road victory
Andrei Vasilevskiy made 30 saves for Tampa Bay for his eighth career playoff shutout.
“I didn’t have much emotions,” Vasilevskiy said. “I mean for the fans it was probably a roller-coaster, but for me it was pretty even.”
Jakub Dobes stopped 32 shots for Montreal. The first three games of the series also went to overtime.
The game was the second in three days to go to overtime scoreless, with Philadelphia beating Pittsburgh 1-0 on Wednesday night to end that series in six games. Before the season, the last 0-0 playoff game in regulation was in 2021.
“It was an amazing game of hockey. I think the two teams played their best game of the series,” Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said. “This is probably one of the best games I’ve seen this young group play. You’ve just got to embrace the situation.”
Dobes and the Canadiens survived a flurry of shots on a late power play. The Lightning got the man advantage after Ivan Demidov broke in on Vasilevskiy, failed to score and was called for goalie interference.
Late in the second — with the Lightning’s Charle-Edouard D’Astous off for slashing Phillip Danault — Vasilevskiy stopped Demidov twice from close range.
“I think we found out we’ve got the best goalie in the world. I think we already knew that, but he was incredible,” Lightning forward Brandon Hagel said. “That’s just one thing off your mind. You don’t have to worry about that big guy back there.:
Tampa Bay had a power-play chance early in the third after Kaiden Guhle was called for slashing Jake Guentzel. On the Lightning’s best chance, Nikita Kucherov fired a shot off the post.
Montreal had only one shot on goal on a power play to start the second period with Guentzel off for high-sticking Guhle with 11 seconds left in the first.
Danault kept it scoreless a few minutes later when he swept the puck away before it could cross the goal line. Montreal then killed Alexandre Texier’s high-sticking penalty.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Tampa Bay Lightning's Gage Goncalves (93) celebrates after his winning goal as Montreal Canadiens' Zachary Bolduc (76) reacts during overtime of Game 6 in the first round of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Montreal, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)
Tampa Bay Lightning's Gage Goncalves (93) celebrates after his goal against Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes (75) during overtime of Game 6 in the first round of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Montreal, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)
Tampa Bay Lightning's Gage Goncalves, second from left, celebrates with teammates after scoring against the Montreal Canadiens during overtime of Game 6 in the first round of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Montreal, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP)
Tampa Bay Lightning's Gage Goncalves (93) scores against Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes, top left, during overtime of Game 6 in the first round of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Montreal, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)
Tampa Bay Lightning's Gage Goncalves (93) scores against Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes, bottom, during overtime of Game 6 in the first round of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Montreal, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)
Montreal Canadiens' Alexandre Texier (85) reaches for a rebound with Tampa Bay Lightning's Darren Raddysh (43) as Canadiens' Zachary Bolduc (76) and Lightning's Brandon Hagel (38) battle in front of the Lightning net during the second period of Game 6 in the first round of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Montreal, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)
Montreal Canadiens' Zachary Bolduc (76) and Tampa Bay Lightning's Brandon Hagel (38) battle for the puck behind Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) during the second half of Game 6 in the first round of an NBA basketball playoffs series in Montreal on Friday, May 1, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)
Tampa Bay Lightning's Brayden Point (21) battles for a rebound with teammate Corey Perry (10) and Montreal Canadiens' Jayden Struble (47), Josh Anderson (17), Lane Hutson (48) and goaltender Jakub Dobes (75) during the first period of Game 6 in the first round of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Montreal on Friday, May 1, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)
Montreal Canadiens' Josh Anderson (17) collides with Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) as Lightning's J.J. Moser (90) defends during Game 6 in the first round of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Montreal, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP)
Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) stops a shot by Montreal Canadiens' Ivan Demidov (93) during the second period of Game 6 in the first round of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Montreal, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)
