Clippers 113-112 Thunder: Garland caps a 7-0 close past SGA's 40

Highlights

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Forty points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Forty-five rebounds. Sixteen minutes and thirty-eight seconds spent in front. None of it left Intuit Dome with Oklahoma City, because the Clippers scored the final seven points of the night and walked off 113-112 winners.

Los Angeles built the frame early: 33-27 in the first quarter, 24-17 in the second, a cushion that grew to 15 points. The Thunder answered with 40 in the third, their best run of the night worth 10, and the fourth became a free-throw tug-of-war settled by a single point.

The finish ran through the stripe. Alex Caruso's free throws nudged the Thunder to 106-112. Brook Lopez scored inside on consecutive trips, 108-112 and then 110-112. Darius Garland tied it at 112, and his free throw put the Clippers in front for good at 113-112. Derrick Jones Jr.'s four blocks had kept the paint hostile all evening.

The paradox lived on the glass. Oklahoma City pulled down 45 rebounds to Los Angeles' 40, yet every other category leaned home — 28 assists to 27, 11 turnovers to 12, 7 blocks to 4.

Time told the rest: the Clippers spent 29:29 in front, the Thunder 16:38.

Garland closed his night with 24 points and 7 assists plus the game's final three points. Lopez chipped in 26 on 52% shooting with 7 rebounds. Oklahoma City's stars paid a cruel tax: Gilgeous-Alexander's 40 came on 58% shooting with a plus-1, and Isaiah Hartenstein — 21 points, 16 rebounds, 90% from the field, plus-13 — did everything a stat sheet rewards in a losing cause.

Oklahoma City won most of the arguments. The Clippers won the last point, and at 113-112, that is the only line of the box score anyone will remember.