Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32 points to help lift the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 115-101 home win over the Miami Heat on Wednesday.
The Thunder, who trailed by as many as 21 in the first half, extended their winning streak to seven. The Heat have dropped three consecutive games.
Oklahoma City seized control with a 24-0 run to start the fourth, powered by six 3-pointers — two each from Gilgeous-Alexander and Isaiah Joe.
The Thunder were 7-for-7 from the floor to start the quarter and 9-for-10 overall during the stretch, where they grabbed a 14-point lead.
Miami missed its first six shots of the quarter and turned the ball over five times during the stretch, not scoring until nearly six minutes into the frame.
The Heat never got closer than 10 the rest of the way.
For much of the game, it appeared as if both of those streaks would be snapped, as Miami controlled the paint against a Thunder team that was without 7-footer Chet Holmgren.
Holmgren, who recently returned from a nearly three-month absence due to a pelvic fracture, sat out to rest on the first night of a back-to-back.
Oklahoma City started to build a bit of momentum in the third, cutting the deficit to single digits late before Nikola Jovic’s late 3-pointer gave the Heat a 93-83 lead heading into the fourth.
The Thunder outscored Miami 32-8 in the fourth, scoring 12 points off six Heat turnovers.
Oklahoma City finished with 27 points off of 16 turnovers.
Gilgeous-Alexander also added nine assists, five rebounds and two steals.
Jalen Williams added 18 points and Luguentz Dort 17 in the win.
Two nights after hitting a franchise-record 27 3-pointers in a 137-101 win over New Orleans, the Thunder started out cold from beyond the arc.
Oklahoma City started just 1 of 12 on 3-pointers before hitting three of their last four before halftime to cut what had been a 21-point halftime deficit to 11 at the break.
Bam Adebayo led Miami with 27 points, 13 coming in the first quarter.
Oklahoma City’s Alex Caruso left the game in the second quarter with left hip tightness and did not return.
–Field Level Media
