Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recorded 35 points, nine assists, eight rebounds and three steals to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 118-110 victory over the host Phoenix Suns on Sunday night.
Jalen Williams added 22 points and three steals and Chet Holmgren had 14 points and nine rebounds for the Thunder, who won for the seventh time in their past eight games. Luguentz Dort had 13 points and three steals for Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City.
Jusuf Nurkic collected a franchise-record 31 rebounds for the Suns and is just the fifth player this century to collect at least 30 boards in a game. The most recent was Enes Kanter Freedom, who had 30 for the Portland Trail Blazers against the Detroit Pistons on April 10, 2021.
Nurkic broke the Phoenix record of 27 rebounds shared by Paul Silas (1970-71 season) and Tyson Chandler (2015-16).
Bradley Beal recorded 31 points and six assists and Kevin Durant added 20 points for the Suns, who lost their second straight game. Eric Gordon scored 15 points and Nurkic added 14.
The Suns were without star Devin Booker, who sprained his right ankle in Saturday’s loss to the Houston Rockets.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 or more points for the eighth straight game and has done so 45 times this season. He is two games shy of the Thunder record, accomplished twice by Durant (2009-10, 2013-14).
Oklahoma City shot 48 percent from the field, including 9 of 31 from 3-point range. Aaron Wiggins had four of the Thunder’s 16 steals. Oklahoma City forced 22 turnovers while committing just six.
Phoenix made 44 percent of its shots overall and was 14 of 39 from behind the arc.
Oklahoma City led by 14 at halftime before opening the third quarter with a 14-4 burst. Gilgeous-Alexander capped the run with a jumper to make it 80-56 with 7:47 left in the period.
The Thunder led 84-60 before the Suns caught fire and outscored Oklahoma City 25-5 the rest of the quarter. Grayson Allen’s basket with 52 seconds left represented the final points of the frame as Phoenix moved within 89-85.
Beal and Gordon opened the fourth quarter with 3-pointers to give the Suns a 91-89 lead, their first lead since late in the opening quarter.
Phoenix led 103-101 before Gilgeous-Alexander scored six points during a 10-0 run as the Thunder took a 111-103 advantage with 3:59 left.
Williams knocked down a jumper to give Oklahoma City a 117-108 lead with 2:02 to play, and the Thunder closed it out.
Oklahoma City led 66-52 at the break, with Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 18 points. Beal had 17 in the first half for the Suns.
–Field Level Media
