Porzingis, SGA, Giannis Shine in Wild Night of NBA Action as Playoff Race Heats Up

Kristaps Porzingis returned to haunt his former team in style, drilling eight 3-pointers en route to 34 points as the Boston Celtics edged the New York Knicks 119-117 in overtime at Madison Square Garden. With the victory, Boston secured a four-game season sweep of the Knicks and locked in the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, thanks to Cleveland’s win over Chicago.

Porzingis’ biggest moment came late in overtime with a deep triple that broke a 112-112 tie. Jrue Holiday then iced the game with clutch free throws, while Jayson Tatum added 32 points. Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks with 34 points, but their bid for the No. 3 seed remains pending one more win or an Indiana Pacers loss.

In Oklahoma City, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander lit up the Lakers with 42 points as the Thunder cruised to a 136-120 win, avenging a loss from two nights earlier. The Thunder set a new franchise record for wins in a season, dating back to their Seattle SuperSonics days. The turning point came after Luka Doncic’s ejection early in the fourth quarter, following his second technical.

Milwaukee staged a stunning comeback, overturning a 24-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves 110-103. Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded a triple-double, and Bobby Portis returned from a suspension with an 18-point, 10-rebound effort. The Bucks outscored the Wolves 40-13 in the final frame, including a 23-0 run.

Golden State demolished Phoenix 133-95, with Stephen Curry leading the charge with 25 points. The Suns’ postseason hopes now hang by a thread, three games behind 10th-placed Dallas with three to play. The win moved the Warriors into a four-way tie for the No. 4 seed in the West.

Elsewhere, the Clippers held off the Spurs 122-117 behind Ivica Zubac’s 24-point, 20-rebound performance, while Orlando defeated Atlanta 119-112 with Paolo Banchero logging another double-double.

Brooklyn ended their home skid with a 119-114 win over New Orleans, while Ja Morant’s 28-point effort helped Memphis down Charlotte. However, the game was marred by a severe injury to rookie Jaylen Wells, who left on a stretcher with a broken wrist after a flagrant foul.

Finally, Pascal Siakam’s 24 points guided Indiana past Washington 104-98, keeping their five-game win streak alive and maintaining pressure on the Knicks in the battle for the East’s third seed.