Gilgeous-Alexander scores 40 to lead Thunder past Timberwolves 113-105

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 40 points, and the Oklahoma City Thunder rallied to win their seventh straight game, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 113-105 on Tuesday night.

Isaiah Hartenstein added 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Lu Dort and Jalen Williams each had 14 points for the Thunder (27-5), which trailed 52-46 at halftime before outscoring Minnesota 43-23 in the third quarter to take a double-digit lead.

Anthony Edwards had 20 points and seven rebounds to lead Minnesota (17-15). His two free throws with 2:03 left cut the Thunder lead to 106-103, but Gilgeous-Alexander answered with a 3-pointer to reach the 40-point plateau for the third time in five games and extend the lead to 109-103.

Naz Reid scored 19 points, and Mike Conley added 16 for the Timberwolves, who had won three in a row.

Timberwolves: Minnesota was in control until the second half, when the Timberwolves withered under Oklahoma City's pressure defense and blew a 12-point lead in the third quarter.

Thunder: Defense and Gilgeous-Alexander's playmaking ability kept Oklahoma City in the game until his teammates found their shooting touch in the second half.

Minnesota got three consecutive 3-pointers from Mike Conley to build a 65-53 lead with 8:30 left in the third quarter. But Oklahoma City went on a 36-10 run and ended the quarter with a 89-75 lead. Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 19 points in the quarter.

Oklahoma City forced 24 turnovers, including 16 steals. The majority came in the second half when the Thunder clawed their way back into the game.

The Timberwolves host Boston, and the Thunder host the Clippers on Thursday night.

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

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo, left, drives past Oklahoma CIty Thunder guard Luguentz Dort, right, during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)

OKlahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort celebrates during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) shoots over Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)

Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, right, dunks over Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams, left, during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, right, drives past Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort, left, during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander celebrates after a basket during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner will sit out the season finale against the Miami Dolphins with a hamstring injury.

Gardner has been dealing with the issue since Week 13 and missed the Jets' last meeting with the Dolphins the following week. He started last week at Buffalo, but didn't return after leaving in the first half.

Gardner, an All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection in each of his first two NFL seasons, finished his third year with one interception, a sack, nine passes defensed and 49 tackles.

The Jets (4-12) will wrap up their season Sunday at MetLife Stadium, while the Dolphins (8-8) need to win and have Denver lose to Kansas City to reach the playoffs for the third straight season.

Interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said tight end Tyler Conklin (calf), defensive tackle Quinnen Williams (hamstring), right tackle Morgan Moses (knee) and right guard Alijah Vera-Tucker (ankle) will be game-time decisions. All four were listed as questionable, but Conklin and Vera-Tucker were limited participants at practice while Williams and Moses sat out.

Defensive tackle Leki Fotu was doubtful to play with a knee injury.

With safety Chuck Clark going on injured reserve this week with a torn pectoral muscle, Ulbrich said Ashtyn Davis would get the start opposite Tony Adams.

Linebacker Jamien Sherwood went from being a backup at the beginning of the season to being voted the Jets' MVP by his teammates.

“We had a lot of adversity this season and obviously it didn’t go the way we wanted,” he said after the team's final practice. "But to be recognized by my teammates, peers, future Hall of Famers, Pro Bowlers, All-Pro players, this means a lot to me.

“I feel like not only my on-the-field play was able to help me win this award, but just the way I am amongst the locker room, amongst my teammates, always trying to find some type of energy, some type of enthusiasm to boost everybody up.”

The 2021 fifth-round draft pick out of Auburn is a converted safety who started seven games at linebacker during his first three NFL seasons before moving into a full-time starting role after C.J. Mosley was injured this season.

He leads the Jets with 148 tackles, including a career-high 18 in New York's last game against Miami.

“You would be hard pressed to find a harder worker, not only in this building, but any building in the NFL,” Ulbrich said.

Sherwood is set to become a free agent this offseason.

“I’m just so excited for the future now for him,” Ulbrich said, “because it’s really planted seeds across the league as a guy that everybody’s going to want on their team and he’s going to get rewarded for it. And he deserves every penny he’s going to get.”

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

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman (0) is stopped by New York Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood (44) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner, left, breaks up a pass intended for Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman (0) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)