Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 137-101 home win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday.
The Thunder extended their winning streak to six games while the Pelicans’ losing streak was extended to nine.
During their run, the Thunder have won by an average of 25.8 points per game.
They ran away with this one early, overcoming a slow offensive start to lead by 13 after one quarter, thanks to a 13-3 run to end the frame.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored eight during that stretch, including a four-point play after hitting a step-back 3-pointer and taking a foul from Jordan Hawkins.
Oklahoma City stretched its lead as much as 29 points in the second quarter, and New Orleans was never closer than 22 in the second half.
With the Thunder leading the game comfortably, Gilgeous-Alexander sat out the entire fourth quarter. It was the 13th game this season where Gilgeous-Alexander did not play in the fourth.
Aaron Wiggins added 24 points off the bench for the Thunder, going 9 of 13 from the floor.
Wiggins is averaging 23.2 points per game during the winning streak after averaging 9.3 points per game over his first 46 games of the season.
Oklahoma City hit a franchise-record 27 3-pointers, with four each from Gilgeous-Alexander, Wiggins and Alex Caruso.
The Thunder, who hadn’t hit more than 20 in a game this season, were 27 of 55 (49.1 percent) from beyond the arc.
Oklahoma City scored 40 points off 23 Pelicans turnovers.
The Thunder set that tone from early, scoring 12 off New Orleans’ seven first-quarter turnovers.
Oklahoma City big man Chet Holmgren, playing just his second game since returning from an extended absence due to a pelvic fracture, had 12 points, six rebounds and five blocks.
Coming off a season-high 40-point outing in a Saturday loss at Sacramento, New Orleans’ Zion Williamson had 17 points and five assists.
Williamson didn’t make a field goal until the final two minutes of the first half.
Trey Murphy III led the Pelicans with 23 points.
–Field Level Media
