Thunder Top Wizards, Win 8th Straight
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 41 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat Washington 123-105 on Monday night, sending the NBA-worst Wizards to their 21st loss in 23 games and 12th straight on the road.
Jalen Williams added 17 points and Isaiah Hartenstein had 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Thunder, who shot 44.3% from the field and made 19 of 22 free throws.
Oklahoma City led 67-63 at halftime and 91-87 after three quarters. The Thunder took control with a 19-3 run to open the final period.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who had two points after one quarter, made 14 of 25 shots, 3 of 6 3-pointers and 10 of 10 from the foul line. He added nine rebounds, three assists, three steals and three blocks.
Jordan Poole scored 31 points, Carlton “Bub” Carrington added 14 and Jonas Valanciunas had 12 points and 16 rebounds for the Wizards. Washington played without double-figure scorers Kyle Kuzma, Bilal Coulibaly and Alex Sarr, the team’s No. 2 overall draft pick.
Wizards: Washington made 16 of its first 32 3-point attempts to keep the game close, but missed 11 straight after that.
Thunder: Oklahoma City struggled from distance, shooting only 26.3%, but rookie Ajay Mitchell, Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander made 3s early in the fourth quarter to help extend the lead to 15. Mitchell finished with 16 points.
Oklahoma City forward Jaylin Williams made his season debut to a loud ovation with 9:41 left in the second quarter. His 3-pointer less than a minute later capped a 13-0 run that gave the Thunder a 42-37 lead they never relinquished.
Washington committed 19 turnovers, leading to 24 points for Oklahoma City.
Wizards: Host Charlotte on Thursday.
Thunder: At Indiana on Thursday.