NBA Notes: Thunder, Chet Holmgren, Spurs, De’Aaron Fox, Hawks

Thunder

Chet Holmgren delivered a dominant performance with 30 points and 14 rebounds, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 20 points and 11 assists as the Thunder secured the NBA’s best regular-season record with a 128-110 win over the Clippers.

The defending champions improved to 64-16, clinching homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs. Oklahoma City has now won seven straight and 19 of its past 20, holding off a surging Spurs team for the league’s top mark.

Jalen Williams contributed 18 points, and Gilgeous-Alexander extended his streak of 20-point games to a record 141 straight, despite sitting out the fourth quarter.

Holmgren set the tone early, scoring 24 first-half points as the Thunder built a lead that grew to 25. Oklahoma City shot 58.1% from the field and controlled the game defensively, not allowing a single fast-break basket.

Spurs

De’Aaron Fox led the way with 25 points as the Spurs continued their surge with a 112-101 win over the Trail Blazers, even without Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle.

San Antonio improved to 61-19 and is now 28-3 since Feb. 1, marking its best record since 2017. The team had six players score in double figures, with Keldon Johnson adding 20 points and rookie Carter Bryant contributing a season-high 17.

Wembanyama (rib) and Castle (knee soreness) both missed the game, though head coach Mitch Johnson said there’s optimism they could return Friday vs. Dallas. Wembanyama still needs to appear in one more game of at least 20 minutes to meet the 65-game minimum for awards eligibility.

The Spurs started slowly before Fox took over early, scoring 10 points in the opening minutes to settle things down. San Antonio closed the first quarter on an 8-0 run to seize control and later pulled away with a 13-2 stretch late in the third.

Hawks

The Hawks came up short in a 122-116 loss to the Cavaliers, missing an opportunity to clinch a playoff berth and dropping their second straight game.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker led Atlanta with 25 points, while Jonathan Kuminga added 24 off the bench. The Hawks fell to 45-35 and remain in a tight race in the East standings, sitting one game ahead of Toronto for the No. 5 seed and just 1.5 games clear of Orlando.

Atlanta appeared in control late in the first half, taking a 67-56 lead before Cleveland flipped the game with a 17-3 run bridging the second and third quarters. The Cavaliers then dominated the third period 44-20 to take command.

The Hawks responded late, using an 18-2 run to cut the deficit to two. Kuminga’s dunk made it 118-116, and Atlanta had a chance to tie after a Cleveland miss, but a turnover in the paint proved costly. Donovan Mitchell sealed it at the line.

Atlanta will get another shot Friday when the teams meet again for the final time of the regular season.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.