Oklahoma City left Cleveland with a 117-112 win after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander buried the go-ahead three with 32.6 seconds remaining. The same Monday slate delivered a 135-134 overtime result in Memphis and a Portland rally from an early 12-point deficit in Denver.

Oklahoma City Thunder @ Cleveland Cavaliers: free throws tilt a five-point finish

Oklahoma City made 21 of 23 free throws, compared with Cleveland's 14 of 24, in a game the Thunder won 117-112. The Cavaliers made 18 threes on 49 attempts to Oklahoma City's 12 on 31, but the Thunder won the glass 54-46. Both teams finished with eight turnovers, according to the ESPN box score.

That is a lopsided shooting profile for a five-point result. Cleveland made six more threes and kept finding answers after Oklahoma City took control in the second quarter, but the Thunder had a more reliable route to points at the line. The Cavaliers opened 30-26, then Oklahoma City answered with a 33-18 second quarter and held on through a 28-27 fourth.

Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 43 points and eight assists, shooting 14 of 35 from the field and 11 of 12 at the line. His three with 32.6 seconds remaining put Oklahoma City ahead for good. The ESPN recap puts the shot in context: this was the first of two games between the teams, and Cleveland's late push never quite found a final answer.

New Orleans Pelicans @ Memphis Grizzlies: the turnover gap survives overtime

New Orleans committed eight turnovers to Memphis' 16, a meaningful difference in a game that needed five extra minutes. The Grizzlies had more rebounds, 49-47, more assists, 30-27, and more made threes, 18-14. The Pelicans still left with a 135-134 win after overtime, with the ESPN box score recording the margin between those extra possessions.

Memphis trailed 100-95 after three quarters, then scored 29 in the fourth to force overtime. Zion Williamson scored 25, including nine in the extra period, while Karlo Matkovic matched him with a career-high 25. Rookie Jeremiah Fears made two free throws with 7.3 seconds left, and New Orleans handed Memphis its first loss after a 6-0 start, as the ESPN recap reported.

The box score makes the result less mysterious than the final margin suggests. Memphis shot 18 of 40 from three, compared with New Orleans' 14 of 37, but the Pelicans kept the ball more often and stayed within two rebounds. In a one-point overtime finish, that possession count was the difference between a sixth straight Memphis win and a night the Grizzlies will want back.

Portland Trail Blazers @ Denver Nuggets: Portland wins the second-chance battle

Portland collected 53 rebounds, including 21 on offense, against Denver's 37 total and nine offensive boards. The Trail Blazers also had 30 assists to the Nuggets' 24, while Denver's 13 steals came against Portland's three. Those numbers help explain how Portland erased the early hole and won 118-110, despite committing 16 turnovers to Denver's 12, according to the ESPN box score.

Denver took the first quarter 31-19, but Portland answered with 39 points in the second and closed with a 33-23 fourth. Deni Avdija scored 28, with nine in the final quarter. Donovan Clingan added 17 points and 18 rebounds, and Jrue Holiday had 17 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds off the bench. Jamal Murray scored 35 for Denver, while Nikola Jokić finished with 26 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists. Portland's offensive rebounding kept creating another chance after Denver's defense had already forced a miss or turnover, a theme in the ESPN recap.

The wider note: Memphis' unbeaten start is over

The Grizzlies entered Monday 6-0 and left with their first defeat. It was not a clean shooting night for New Orleans, which made only 38% of its threes, but the Pelicans protected the ball and made the late possessions count.

Gilgeous-Alexander supplied the slate's standout individual performance with 43 points, eight assists, and the go-ahead three in Cleveland. The ESPN daily leaders and game recap capture the scale of the performance and the moment that decided it.