The Thunder are riding a franchise-record 14-game winning streak, while the Celtics are the defending NBA champions. "Absolutely," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "Absolutely. They won and we're trying to win."

But the Thunder dominated the fourth quarter, 37-19, and stole the 117-107 win to end the Knicks' nine-game winning streak and extend their own to 14 consecutive victories. It was a scene that is becoming all too familiar for an otherwise stellar Knicks team.

That got ugly, quickly. The Knicks were in control, staring a 10-game winning streak down the barrel, leading by 12 with just four minutes left in the third quarter of Friday’s showdown against the Oklahoma City Thunder — the hottest team in all of basketball riding their own 13-game winning streak as New York’s toughest test since their Dec.