OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter, and the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the New York Knicks 111-100 on Sunday night.
Gilgeous-Alexander was 5 of 15 from the floor in the first three quarters, but drained all three of his shots in the fourth. He made 13 of 16 free throws overall to help him extend his NBA record for consecutive games with at least 20 points to 135.
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New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) loses control of the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) drives against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) keeps the ball away from New York Knicks forward Og Anunoby (8) and guard Josh Hart (3) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) and guard Jalen Williams (8) celebrate after a basket by Williams during the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) shoots over New York Knicks guard Josh Hart, left, during the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Jalen Williams scored 22 points for the Thunder, shooting 7 of 11 from the floor and making all seven of his free throws. An All-Star last year, he appears to be rounding into form. He missed the first 19 games of the season with a wrist injury, then later missed 26 with a strained right hamstring.
Chet Holmgren added 16 points and nine rebounds for the Thunder, who won for the 14th time in 15 games. Oklahoma City (59-16) leads San Antonio (56-18) by 2 1/2 games in the race for the league’s best record with eight remaining.
The Knicks are in third place in the Eastern Conference standings, 2 1/2 games behind the Boston Celtics for second with eight games to play. But the Thunder outscored them 31-13 from the free-throw line.
Jalen Brunson scored 32 points for the Knicks on 13-for-22 shooting. Karl-Anthony Towns added 15 points and 18 rebounds for the Knicks, who lost their second straight after a seven-game winning streak.
Josh Hart's deep 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer cut Oklahoma City's lead to 53-52.
A steal and layup by Williams gave the Thunder a 59-54 lead in the third quarter and excited the crowd. Oklahoma City took an 84-78 lead into the fourth. New York cut its deficit to a point in the final period, but never took the lead.
Knicks: Visit the Houston Rockets on Tuesday.
Thunder: Host the Detroit Pistons on Monday.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) loses control of the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) drives against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) keeps the ball away from New York Knicks forward Og Anunoby (8) and guard Josh Hart (3) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) and guard Jalen Williams (8) celebrate after a basket by Williams during the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) shoots over New York Knicks guard Josh Hart, left, during the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Munetaka Murakami of the Chicago White Sox and Chase DeLauter of the Cleveland Guardians have accomplished something in the last week that had been done only twice before.
The two rookies homered in each of their first three major league games. According to Sportradar, the only other players to hit home runs in at least their first three Major League Baseball games were Trevor Story with the Colorado Rockies in 2016 and Kyle Lewis with the Seattle Mariners in 2019.
Murakami said after the White Sox's 9-7 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday that he's “truly grateful and happy” to achieve that type of milestone but added he still has plenty to work on as he begin his career.
“There's still a long way to go and lots of ways to improve, so that's what I'll keep on doing in the upcoming days,” Murakami said through interpreter Kenzo Yagi.
Story owns the MLB record with homers in his first four career games. DeLauter was unable to match that record Sunday when he went 1 for 3 with a single but no homers in the Guardians' fourth game of the season, an 8-0 loss to Seattle.
Murakami, 26, added his name to the club Sunday by sending a 3-2 pitch from Milwaukee's Brandon Sproat over the wall in right-center and into the White Sox bullpen in the second inning. The Japanese slugger homered off Jake Woodford in the ninth inning of his debut Thursday and went deep against Chad Patrick in the fourth inning Saturday.
“The park doesn’t seem big enough to hold him, you know what I mean?" Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. "He’s impressive.”
Murakami gets a chance to tie Story's record Monday when the White Sox play at Miami.
The White Sox could use some good news. They've lost over 100 games each of the last three seasons and they were outscored a combined 20-3 in their first two games this year before blowing a 7-2 lead on Sunday.
But the emergence of Murakami at least gives them some reason for hope.
“It all translates from his work, his preparation and things like that,” White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery said. “It's one thing that I respect a lot. He comes in day in and day out and he's doing stuff. He never skips anything. He's always working on his craft. He's a hard worker. To me, I think it just makes sense why he's going out there and he's performing really well.”
Murakami signed a two-year, $34 million contract with the White Sox in December after hitting 246 homers over eight seasons with the Yakult Swallows of Japan’s Central League — including a 56-homer season in 2022.
He also struck out 977 times out of 3,780 plate appearances in Japan, leading to some questions about his chances of success in the majors. Murakami has four strikeouts already — including three on Sunday — but he also has walked four times and owns a .538 on-base percentage.
White Sox pitcher Anthony Kay, who played in Japan the last two years, had no doubt that Murakami's power would translate.
“I watched him two years in Japan," Kay said. “I'm not surprised by it. I know some people are, but I've seen it, so I'm not surprised.”
DeLauter, 24, hit four homers in his first three games.
The outfielder went deep twice in his MLB debut on Thursday and became the fifth player in the Guardians' 126-year history to homer in his first career regular-season at-bat. He added a solo shot off Seattle's George Kirby on Friday. DeLauter struck out three times Saturday but hit a two-run blast off Andrés Muñoz in the 10th inning of a 6-5 victory.
“That shows the maturity right there,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said Saturday. “He had a tough night up until that point, and obviously facing one of the best closers in the league — if not the best closer in the league — and to hit a ball oppo in Seattle at night when it's cold, that takes some kind of power.”
Cleveland had drafted DeLauter out of James Madison with the 16th pick in 2022. He made the Guardians' season-opening roster after hitting .459 with a .535 on-base percentage and three homers in 14 spring training games.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
Milwaukee Brewers right fielder Sal Frelick misses a home run hit by Chicago White Sox's Munetaka Murakami (5) during the second inning of a baseball game, Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Brandon Sproat throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)
Chicago White Sox's Munetaka Murakami scores on a home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)
Chicago White Sox's Chase Meidroth, left, and manager Will Venable, right, congratulate Munetaka Murakami (5) after Murakami hit a home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)
Chicago White Sox's Munetaka Murakami runs the bases after hitting a home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)
Chicago White Sox's Munetaka Murakami runs the bases after hitting a home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)
