Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 23 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the injury-depleted Milwaukee Bucks 125-107 on Friday night to boost their hopes of taking the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
The Bucks played Friday without All-Stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. They already had announced Wednesday that Antetokounmpo would miss the rest of the regular season with a strained left calf. Lillard was out with a sore left adductor. Milwaukee fell to 4-4 in games without Antetokounmpo this season.
The Bucks could have clinched the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs with a win. They still can clinch the No. 2 seed with a win at Orlando on Sunday or a New York Knicks home loss to the Chicago Bulls on Sunday. Bucks coach Doc Rivers said before the game that he was more concerned with health than the standings.