SGA extends record streak to 20 points, Thunder wins 8th in a row

OKC won its eighth straight, beating Minnesota 116-103, while SGA extended its record streak of games with 20 points or more.

OKLAHOMA CITY— Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 20 points and 10 assists, and the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves by 116-103 this Sunday, achieving his eighth consecutive victory.

Gilgeous-Alexander managed to narrowly extend his record streak of games with at least 20 points, raising it to 128 games. He entered the fourth quarter with just 10 points and re-entered the game with 7:10 minutes left, after having rested.

He scored with a stepback shot against Anthony Edwards with 1:46 remaining, also receiving a foul that allowed him to reach 19 points. With the crowd on their feet and chanting “MVP!”, he made the free throw to keep the streak alive and move even further away from Wilt Chamberlain’s old mark, set at 126 games.

Chet Holmgren contributed 21 points and nine rebounds, and Isaiah Joe added another 20 points for the Thunder, a team that improved its record to 53-15, the best in the entire league.

Julius Randle scored 32 points and Edwards added 19 for the Timberwolves.

The Thunder caused 22 turnovers on the opponent, committing only seven. Oklahoma City took 101 shot attempts, while Minnesota attempted 77.

Oklahoma City took an early 9-0 lead and held the Timberwolves scoreless for nearly three minutes early in the game.

Minnesota recovered and went into halftime with a 53-47 lead. Gilgeous-Alexander scored just four points, going 2 for 10 from the field, before halftime.

Minnesota extended its lead to 68-59 midway through the third quarter before the Thunder began their comeback. A 3-pointer by Jaylin Williams—which bounced off the rim before going in—gave Oklahoma City a 78-73 lead, and the Thunder closed the third quarter with a favorable score of 80-76 heading into the fourth quarter.

Oklahoma City took control of the game at the beginning of the final period. Jared McCain took a no-look, behind-the-back pass from Isaiah Hartenstein and hit a 3-pointer that gave Oklahoma City a 91-80 lead. Both players connected again, this time with a two-handed pass from Hartenstein that bounced off the ground after passing between his legs and behind his body. McCain’s 3-pointer put the Thunder ahead 94-81.