Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points to help the Oklahoma City Thunder remain undefeated with a 137-106 home win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday.
The Thunder are 7-0 for the second consecutive season while the Pelicans have dropped six consecutive games to start the season.
New Orleans has lost 13 consecutive games dating back to last season, tying the longest streak in franchise history.
Gilgeous-Alexander tied Oscar Robertson with his 79th consecutive game with 20 or more points. Only Wilt Chamberlain, who recorded streaks of 196 and 92 games during his career, has recorded a longer such streak.
Gilgeous-Alexander has scored 30 or more points in six of the Thunder’s seven games this season, including the last three straight. For the second consecutive game, the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player needed just three quarters to reach the mark.
Oklahoma City jumped ahead early, leading by 17 after one quarter. New Orleans never was closer than 12 the rest of the way.
Gilgeous-Alexander was sizzling from the start, hitting all four of his first-quarter shots and assisting on five buckets. He finished 8 of 14 from the field, hit all 13 of his free throws and added seven assists.
About the only thing Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t do at a high level was shoot from distance.
But the rest of his team did.
The Thunder came into the game last in the NBA in 3-point shooting, but got hot early from behind the arc, making seven from deep in the first quarter.
Jaylin Williams, who made his first start of the season, led the Thunder with four 3-pointers while three other players hit three apiece.
Oklahoma City finished with a season-high 20 3-pointers, shooting 41.7% from beyond the arc.
The Thunder won going away despite missing Chet Holmgren for the third consecutive game with back soreness, while Luguentz Dort was a late scratch due to illness.
Isaiah Hartenstein had 14 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists. Eight Thunder players finished with at least 10 points.
Zion Williamson, who collected nine rebounds and dished out six assists, led the Pelicans with 20 points while Trey Murphy III added 19. New Orleans shot 43.8% from the field (35 of 80) and 40% from 3-point range (16 of 40).
–Field Level Media
