Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 134–115 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday, Dec. 21.
The Thunder stretched their winning streak to three and won for the seventh time in nine games and snapped the Clippers’ nine-game winning streak.
While rookie Chet Holmgren didn’t record a block after combining for 15 over the previous two games, Holmgren had 23 points, a season-high seven assists and six rebounds.
Luguentz Dort added 21 for Oklahoma City.
Early in the third, Holmgren dribbled in from the top of the key to the free-throw line with Ivica Zubac guarding him.
Zubac bit on Holmgren’s shot fake, but instead of going back up for the open jumper, Holmgren passed the ball to himself and dunked it home, putting the Thunder in front, 74–73.
Holmgren’s dunk kicked off a 13–0 Oklahoma City run.
By the time the third quarter was over, the Thunder led by 17.
Oklahoma City’s 45 third-quarter points tied its most in a quarter this season.
The Thunder scored 14 points in the quarter off the Clippers’ six turnovers.
Gilgeous-Alexander started relatively slow, with just 11 points in the first half but scored 14 in the third alone.
Oklahoma City was 17 of 25 from the field in the third and made all but one of its six 3-point tries.
While Paul George, who missed Wednesday’s game with an illness, returned for the Clippers, they were without Kawhi Leonard for the first time this season.
Leonard was suffering from a left hip contusion after fueling the Clippers’ win over in Dallas on Wednesday.
Oklahoma City lost a pair of players to ankle injuries during the game, as both Josh Giddey and Jaylin Williams left the game after injuring their ankles on separate drives to the basket.
James Harden led the Clippers with 23 points while George added 22 and Russell Westbrook had 15 points and 13 rebounds.
The Thunder led by as many as 14 points in the second quarter before the Clippers trimmed the lead to five by halftime and came back to regain the lead on Harden’s 3-pointer less than two minutes into the second half.
Holmgren hit a 3-pointer on the other end, then George hit one to put the Clippers back in front before Holmgren’s nifty dunk started Oklahoma City’s game-deciding stretch.
