Here’s how the last few days have gone for the Oklahoma City Thunder: Lose the NBA Cup final to Milwaukee in Las Vegas on Tuesday, spend time airborne over four different time zones on Wednesday, win in Orlando on Thursday, win in Miami on Friday.

Thursday had a little of everything in the NBA.

The Orlando Magic were beaten during a Thursday night matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points and Jalen Williams scored six straight points in a run in the fourth quarter.

The NBA’s All-Star Game is going to be an All-Star tournament this season, with the league announcing that it has finalized plans to use a different format for the upcoming midseason showcase in San Francisco.

Everyone has a lucky number in Las Vegas.

When the Milwaukee Bucks clinched their spot in the NBA Cup championship game, plenty of the team’s younger and lesser-paid players were exuberant in the locker room.

Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers has heard and seen enough.

Winning the NBA Cup won’t bring a championship parade to Oklahoma City or Houston or Atlanta or Milwaukee.

The NBA In-Season Tournament semifinals and final debuted last season in Las Vegas.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 39 points, and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Dallas Mavericks 118-104 on Tuesday night in an NBA Cup quarterfinal.

The NBA is considering going to a tournament-style event for the All-Star Game, similar to what has been used in the Rising Stars competition in recent years.

Even though Vince Carter played only a short time in Canada, his impact on Canadian basketball is still going strong.

LeBron James is now the youngest and the oldest player to make an All-NBA team.

The Oklahoma City Thunder might just be scratching the surface of their potential.

P.

Luka Doncic scored 31 points in a triple-double to help the Dallas Mavericks beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 104-92 and take a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference semifinal series.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points, and the Oklahoma City Thunder overcame a Dallas franchise playoff record of 13 blocks, rallying for a 100-96 victory to even their Western Conference semifinal series at 2-2.

Kyrie Irving scored 22 points, including a running left-hander in the lane in the final minute to help Dallas hold on, and the Mavericks beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 105-101 for a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.

Luka Doncic had 29 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, and the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 119-110 to even their Western Conference semifinals series at one win apiece.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 29 points to help the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder defeat the Dallas Mavericks 117-95 in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series.

Jalen Williams highlighted a 24-point performance with a back-breaking 3 with three minutes left, and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the New Orleans Pelicans 97-89 to complete a four-game sweep of their first-round playoff series.

Denver is one win from returning to Round 2.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 24 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the New Orleans Pelicans 106-85 on Saturday to take a 3-0 lead in their first-round playoff series.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 33 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the New Orleans Pelicans 124-92 to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round Western Conference playoff series.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 28 points, including the go-ahead basket in the final minute, and the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 94-92 in Game 1 of their first-round Western Conference playoff series.

Denver's Nikola Jokic is one step closer to winning a third MVP award in the last four seasons.

There’s a 64-win team in Boston that ran away with the league’s best record.

The New York Knicks have not made the conference finals since 2000.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made the go-ahead jumper from the corner with 2.6 seconds left, sending the Oklahoma City Thunder to the playoffs for the first time since 2020 with a 113-112 victory over the New York Knicks on Sunday night.

Anthony Edwards scored 27 points and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 107-101 in a matchup of teams that entered the night tied atop the Western Conference standings.

LeBron James joined yet another exclusive club, and he’ll have plenty of familiar faces alongside him at the NBA All-Star Game.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points, Josh Giddey had a triple-double and Oklahoma City rolled past the Portland Trail Blazers 139-77 on Thursday night, a 62-point victory that matched the fifth-largest rout in NBA history.

LeBron James scored a season-high 40 points and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 129-120 on Saturday night to snap a four-game losing streak.

Jalen Williams scored 23 points and Oklahoma City rallied after allowing Dallas’ NBA-record 30-0 run in the fourth quarter to beat the Mavericks 126-120.

There are a few surprises who have played their way into the early season MVP conversations, joining the list usual list of NBA stars that includes Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid.

Nikola Jokic had 28 points and 14 rebounds to help the Denver Nuggets roll past the Oklahoma City Thunder 128-95.

Playing and coaching in the Basketball World Cup this summer seems as though it helped plenty of people get ready for the NBA season.

The U.S. played the bronze-medal game short-handed, and Canada sent the Americans home from the World Cup empty-handed.

No Nikola Jokic, no problem.

Luka Doncic argued with the referees all night.

The opponent names will become more recognizable for USA Basketball now.

The Basketball World Cup started Friday and Canada sent a message.

Basketball's World Cup finally gets underway on Friday.

Sacramento assistant Jordi Fernandez is taking over for Nick Nurse as coach of the Canadian men’s basketball team that will compete at this summer’s World Cup, a person with knowledge of the decision said Tuesday.

Denver’s Nikola Jokic now knows how Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid felt during two previous NBA award seasons.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 28 points and 11 rebounds to lead Minnesota into the playoffs.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander highlighted his 32-point night with a go-ahead baseline jumper and four clutch free throws in the final 29 seconds, and the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 123-118 to remain alive in the Western Conference play-in tourament.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is doing his best to fasttrack the re-building schedule for the Oklahoma City Thunder after the NBA franchise lost Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Chris Paul to trades in the past seven years.

Los Angeles Clippers star Paul George got hurt in the fourth quarter of the team's 101-100 loss to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The 72nd NBA All-Star Game takes place Sunday night in Salt Lake City.

Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid, Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Portland’s Damian Lillard had to have known they were going to the All-Star Game.

Paolo Banchero had 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, and the Orlando Magic beat the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Joel Embid had 16 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for his fifth career triple-double and the Philadelphia 76ers never trailed in beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 115-96 on Saturday night.

The NBA went into Christmas with a night like none other.

Brook Lopez scored 25 points and the Milwaukee Bucks extended their season-opening winning streak to a franchise-record nine games with Giannis Antetokounmpo on the bench, beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 108-94.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points, and the Oklahoma City Thunder rallied from 15 points down in the second half to defeat the Orlando Magic 116-108 for their fourth straight win.

Theo Maledon scored 17 of his season-high 25 points in the fourth quarter and the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Orlando Magic 118-102 to snap a 10-game losing streak.

Wendell Carter Jr. scored 10 of his career-high 30 points in the fourth quarter and the Orlando Magic handed the Oklahoma City Thunder their ninth straight loss with a 90-85 victory Sunday night.

Devin Booker had 25 points, 12 assists and a career-high six steals to help the NBA-leading Phoenix Suns beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 124-104 on Thursday night.

Devonte Graham’s 61-foot heave at the buzzer lifted the New Orleans Pelicans to a 113-110 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Celtics have traded point guard Kemba Walker to Oklahoma City for forward Al Horford.

Phoenix’s Deandre Ayton had Guy Fieri leaping out of his courtside seat.

Virtually all of Canada’s top NBA players, excluding those who are injured, have accepted invitations to attend training camp next month in advance of that country’s last chance to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.

Stephen Curry scored 25 of his 42 points in the third quarter and the Golden State Warriors ran away from the Oklahoma City Thunder 147-109.

(AP Photo/Michael Wyke)HOUSTON – Mired in a long losing streak, the Houston Rockets twice put the ball in John Wall's hands in the waning moments. The Rockets lost their team-record 20th straight game, falling to the Oklahoma City Thunder 114-112 Sunday when Wall missed two shots in the final 10 seconds. This one hurts.”Dort scored 23 points and Isaiah Roby had 18 for the Thunder, who led by as many as 13 points. They shot a sizzling 14 of 21 on 3s in the second quarter, however, and Oklahoma City led 66-62 at halftime. The Rockets hit a franchise-record 28 3s in a win against the Thunder on Feb. 1, just three days before their last win.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Talen Horton-Tucker (5) takes the ball from Oklahoma City Thunder forward Darius Bazley (7) during the third quarter of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)LOS ANGELES – LeBron James hit the tying 3-pointer late in regulation and then broke up the Thunder's final possession in overtime to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to their sixth consecutive victory, 114-113 over Oklahoma City on Wednesday night. James had 25 points, seven assists and six rebounds for the defending NBA champions, who survived their third consecutive overtime game. OVERTIME FEATSThe Lakers became the seventh team in NBA history to win three consecutive overtime games. AdLos Angeles hadn't played three straight overtime games since 1991.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Theo Maledon (11) defends against Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)LOS ANGELES – Kawhi Leonard scored 34 points and the Los Angeles Clippers beat Oklahoma City 108-101 on Sunday for their seventh consecutive victory and second straight over the Thunder. Serge Ibaka added 17 points. At 13-4, the Clippers are tied with the Lakers for the best record in the NBA. Oklahoma City has lost three in a row and five of six.

He was eager to meet his new teammates, join the starting lineup and make his Pacers debut. LeVert spent his first 4 1/2 seasons with the Nets after the Pacers selected him in the first round of the 2016 NBA draft. Though teams conduct physicals at the start of each season, LeVert wasn't sure if the Nets ever scanned his lower back. That changed when he joined the Pacers, who came up with a diagnosis LeVert never expected. And until LeVert does return, first-year coach Nate Bjorkgren will be dealing with a short-handed roster.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) shoots between Chicago Bulls guard Garrett Temple (17) and forward Lauri Markkanen during overtime of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 15, 2021, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)OKLAHOMA CITY – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a career-high 33 points and 10 assists to help Oklahoma City beat the Chicago Bulls and former Thunder coach Billy Donovan 127-125 in overtime Friday night. Donovan knew all too well how good Oklahoma City can be under challenging circumstances. ... Oklahoma City scored 19 points off Chicago's nine turnovers in the third quarter. ... Oklahoma City shot 56% in the third quarter and outscored the Bulls 37-27.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, left, moves around Oklahoma City Thunder forward Isaiah Roby (22) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)OKLAHOMA CITY – LeBron James scored 26 points and the Los Angeles Lakers routed the Oklahoma City Thunder 128-99 on Wednesday night for their franchise-record seventh straight road victory to start the season. The Lakers led by 24 in the second quarter before the Thunder cut it to 58-46 at halftime. James scored 15 points in the half. James made 4 of 6 shots and scored 11 points in the third quarter to help the Lakers take a 93-71 lead.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Darius Bazley had a season-high 19 points, George Hill scored 13 of his 18 points in the third quarter and the Oklahoma City Thunder dominated the second half of a 108-99 win over the Orlando Magic on Saturday. The Magic were routed 116-92 by Philadelphia on New Year’s Eve and lost on Saturday after making just 37% of their shots. That allowed the Thunder to outscore the Magic 24-17 over the final 12 minutes to break open a close game. Horford drilled a straight-on 3-pointer with 50 seconds to play, sending the Thunder on their way to the second road victory of the season. Magic: Orlando entered Saturday last in the league in 3-point attempts (26.8) and makes (8.8) per game.

Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic (9) and guard Michael Carter-Williams (7) react to a call during the second half of the team's NBA basketball game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2020, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)OKLAHOMA CITY – Nikola Vucevic had a season-high 28 points and 10 rebounds, and the Orlando Magic beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 118-107 Tuesday night. Oklahoma City made only 4 of 13 free throws in the fourth, thwarting the Thunder’s hopes to rally. The Magic again pushed its lead out, this time to 53-43, but Oklahoma City pulled within 60-56 by halftime. The Thunder briefly pulled even at 80-80 on a 3-pointer by Gilgeous-Alexander but Orlando led 87-85 entering the fourth quarter.

The Lakers, who beat Miami to win the championship Oct. 11, start the new season against the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night. Also on Wednesday, Chicago beat Oklahoma City 124-103, and Portland played at Denver. BULLS 124, THUNDER 103At Oklahoma City, the Bulls took control in the second quarter and didn’t let up. LaVine scored 16 points on 6-for-7 shooting in the first quarter while Gilgeous-Alexander scored 11 for Oklahoma City. Oklahoma City couldn’t get into a flow, but part of that was because first-year coach Mark Daigneault gave minutes to 13 players.

Oklahoma City Thunder's Dennis Schroder (17) is forced to pass the ball as Houston Rockets' Russell Westbrook, bottom center, Jeff Green (32) and P.J. Paul gave the Thunder at least one more game at Disney, scoring 15 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter for a 104-100 victory over the Houston Rockets on Monday night in Game 6 of a Western Conference first-round series. But they combined for 12 of the Rockets' 22 turnovers, saying Houston has lost the close games more than Oklahoma City won them. Houston got its most dominant playoff victory in Game 5, winning 114-80 after holding Oklahoma City to 31.5% shooting. Oklahoma City extended it to eight, but Houston wiped that out with an 18-4 run that provided a 98-92 lead.

Eric Gordon scored 23 points and Danuel House added 21 for the Rockets, who won the first two games of the series. The Thunder shot 47.8% and the Rockets 47.7% before the break. The Rockets led 93-80 before Schroder made a 3-pointer and Houston's Austin Rivers was called for a foul away from the shot. Schroder hot a deep 3-pointer at the buzzer, and the Oklahoma City climbed within 93-92 at the end of the third. Thunder: Shot 61% in the first quarter.