OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points in three quarters and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Portland Trail Blazers 124-95 on Wednesday night for their third straight victory.
Ajay Mitchell, who came off the bench, scored 17 points, and Jalen Williams had 13 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Chet Holmgren had 12 points, 10 rebounds and a season-high six blocks for Oklahoma City (29-5), which shot 44 of 90 (48.9 percent) and turned 25 Portland turnovers into 28 points.
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Gilgeous-Alexander made 11 of 15 field goal attempts and made all seven free throws. He scored at least 20 points in his 105th consecutive game. Meanwhile, Mitchell made all four of his field goals and all eight of his free throws.
Trail Blazers two-way player Sidi Sissoko scored 19 points on 7-for-10 shooting (14-20). Deni Avdija had 17 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists, and Shaden Sharpe had 14 points.
Oklahoma City scored 38 points in the first quarter, but was unable to shake the Trail Blazers, who made 6 of 7 three-pointers and scored 30 points.
Williams’ short jumper extended the Thunder’s lead to 60-44 in the middle of the second quarter, and then Portland counterattacked with nine consecutive points. That’s when Gilgeous-Alexander took over, scoring nine points during a 13-2 run that gave Oklahoma City a 73-55 halftime lead.
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Gilgeous-Alexander’s layup in the fourth quarter extended the defending NBA champion’s advantage to 86-60. Early in the fourth quarter, Carson Wallace and Isaiah Joe hit consecutive three-pointers, rewriting the score to 106-78.
Next
Trail Blazers: Visit the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday.
Thunder: Visit Golden State on Friday.
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