Shai Gilgeous-Alexander posted 32 points and 10 assists in three quarters of play as the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder poured it on in the second half to post a 140-114 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday.
The Thunder, playing the second game of a home-road back-to-back, took the lead for good late in the first quarter, expanded their advantage to 11 points at halftime and pulled away in a dominating third quarter to win their fourth straight game and forge a tie for the best record in the Western Conference.
Aaron Wiggins poured in 22 points off the bench for the Thunder, with Chet Holmgren adding 17, Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace scoring 13 points, and Josh Giddey hitting for 12 in the win. Oklahoma City shot 56.2 percent and hit 18 of its 40 3-pointers.
Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Devin Vassell added 21, Blake Wesley scored 12, Malaki Branham had 11 and Zach Collins hit for 10 points in the loss, the second straight setback for San Antonio.
The Thunder trailed 20-19 before reeling off an 11-0 run capped by a 3-pointer by Williams at the 2:15 mark of the first quarter. Gilgeous-Alexander added a jumper and then a 3-pointer, the latter with 36 seconds left in the period finish to off his 10-point quarter and grant Oklahoma City a 35-28 lead after 12 minutes of play.
Wiggins’ 3-pointer with 8:30 to play in the second quarter pushed the Thunder’s lead to 19 points before San Antonio worked its way back into the game. A basket from beyond the arc by Doug McDermott culled the deficit to 50-42 with 4:56 left in the period and the Spurs pulled to within seven points on Branham’s reverse layup with 1:28 remaining. Gilgeous-Alexander scored the half’s final four points to expand Oklahoma City’s advantage to 63-52 at the break.
Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers with 16 points before halftime while Wembanyama paced the Spurs with 13.
The Thunder put away the game in the third quarter, outscoring San Antonio by 13 points and building a 100-76 lead heading into the fourth. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 16 points in the period and scored five of Oklahoma’s final seven points before heading to the bench for the fourth quarter.
–Field Level Media
