OKC's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander slam dunks in the first half of Monday night's NBA playoff game vs. the Pelicans in New Orleans. (AP photo)

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — 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 on Monday night to complete a four-game sweep of their first-round playoff series.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 24 points and 10 rebounds for Oklahoma City, which trailed by five in the fourth quarter before suddenly seizing control with a combination of stifling defense and opportunistic shooting.

New Orleans led 80-75 and had a chance to take what would have been the biggest lead for either team when Jose Alvarado blocked Gilgeous-Alexander and sent CJ McCollum the other way on a two-on-one break.

McCollum could not convert at the rim, however. Soon after, Chet Holmgren’s putback and Josh Giddey’s 3 tied it at 80 and ignited a decisive 18-2 run, capped by Williams’ second-chance 3, that put the Thunder up 93-82 with 3:08 left.

New Orleans, which played the entire series without star power forward Zion Williamson, never recovered.

Giddey and Holmgren each scored 14 points. Holmgren also had nine rebounds.

McCollum scored 20 for New Orleans, which continued to be plagued by poor 3-point shooting. The Pelicans hit just eight of 34 shots from deep (23.5%).

Jonas Valanciunas had 19 point and 13 rebounds but might have produced more had he not been limited by foul trouble to 26 minutes on the court. Naji Marshall hit half of the Pelicans’ 3s and finished with 16 points.

The Thunder held a 44-43 halftime lead in a game was highly competitive through three quarters, with 18 lead changes and neither team leading by more than five.

New Orleans stayed close despite Brandon Ingram missing nine of his first 10 shots and 12 of 14 for the game.

NUGGETS 108, LAKERS 106

Jamal Murray scored 32 points despite a strained calf and sank the game-winner with 3.6 seconds left as the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets bounced LeBron James from the playoffs again in Los Angeles in Game 5.

James’ two free throws tied it at 106 with 26 seconds left and the Nuggets, just as they did in Game 2, eschewed the timeout and Murray took the ball on a high screen and roll to his left, shaking Austin Reaves as he crossed through the lane and swished the 14-footer.

It was Murray’s buzzer beater that also won Game 2.

“This one was a little better,” Murray said as confetti swirled around him and his celebrating teammates.

Nuggets coach Michael Malone said he had “the utmost confidence” in Murray making the game-winner. “That’s why I didn’t call a timeout. Let the best two-game game in the business play their game and get to their spots.”

Nikola Jokic, who committed an uncharacteristic seven turnovers, narrowly missed his 19th career playoff triple-double with 25 points, 20 rebounds and nine assists and Michael Porter Jr. scored 26.

James had 30 points and 11 assists and Davis had 17 points and 15 rebound but appeared bothered down the stretch after banging his left shoulder into MPJ in the second half.

The Nuggets advanced to face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round starting next weekend. That series starts in Denver, where the Nuggets are a Western Conference-best 36-8, including 3-0 in the playoffs.

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