Thunder move to 22-1 as Shai extends 20-point streak and Mavericks stumble

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander needed lone 3 quarters to tilt different nighttime successful Oklahoma City’s favour. The Thunder prima poured successful 33 points connected 10-of-12 shooting and 11-of-12 astatine the enactment successful a 132-111 location triumph implicit the Dallas Mavericks, stretching their winning streak to 14 and lifting them to 22-1.

He has present scored astatine slightest 20 points successful 95 consecutive games, the second-longest tally successful NBA past down Wilt Chamberlain’s 126-game streak from 1961 to 1963. His caput coach, Mark Daigneault, said this level is the merchandise of years of dependable enactment alternatively than a abrupt leap. “He's got a batch of experiences,” Daigneault said. “I deliberation a 23-game playoff tally [last season] was informative for everybody, including him. And helium benignant of channels each that into his work, which is ruthlessly accordant and precise focused. So each he's ever done is improve. You know, truthful astatine this point, arsenic large of a subordinate arsenic helium is, it's not astonishing erstwhile it gets adjacent better.”

Oklahoma City again showed however heavy its enactment tin be. Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams each added 15 points, and the squad changeable 56% from the tract portion going 26-of-28 from the escaped propulsion line. The Thunder were without starters Lu Dort and Isaiah Hartenstein yet inactive controlled the crippled from aboriginal on.

Short-handed Mavericks cannot support pace

Dallas arrived connected a three-game triumph streak contempt its ain wounded issues and has been leaning heavy connected prima rookie Cooper Flagg, who had averaged 27 points during that run. He finished with 16 this clip arsenic Oklahoma City’s defence closed in. Jaden Hardy led the Mavericks with 23 points connected 8-of-13 shooting, including 5-of-9 from beyond the arc, portion Naji Marshall scored 18.

Anthony Davis, who had been averaging 20.6 points for Dallas, endured a brutal violative night. He did not people until a layup successful the 4th fourth and ended with 2 points connected 1-for-9 shooting, though helium grabbed 8 rebounds and handed retired six assists.

Gilgeous-Alexander acceptable the code with 17 points successful the archetypal fractional arsenic the Thunder built a 63-48 lead. They broke the crippled unfastened successful the 3rd quarter, outscoring Dallas 41-26 to spell up 104-74. He added 16 much successful that period, hitting 5-of-6 shots and each 4 escaped throws earlier sitting the remainder of the mode with the effect already successful hand.