Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 37 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 125-104 win over the visiting Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday.
Gilgeous-Alexander added six assists and three steals and didn’t have a turnover in more than 33 minutes.
The Thunder have won eight consecutive games, their second-longest winning streak of the season behind their 15-game streak that ended in early January.
Oklahoma City (61-12) has won more games than it has in any season since the franchise moved from Seattle in 2008.
The Thunder are three wins away from tying the franchise’s overall record for wins, set in 1995-96.
The Grizzlies (44-29) have lost four of their last five to drop to fifth in the Western Conference standings after spending much of the season second to Oklahoma City.
The game was tied with seven minutes remaining when Gilgeous-Alexander re-entered after sitting the first five minutes of the fourth quarter.
Soon after Gilgeous-Alexander’s return, Luguentz Dort hit a high, arcing 3-pointer that ignited a 15-0 Thunder run that eventually became a 26-3 outburst to put the game away.
Oklahoma City All-Star Jalen Williams missed the first seven games of the winning streak with a hip injury, but he returned Thursday and finished with 20 points, five rebounds and four assists.
Isaiah Hartenstein scored eight of his 18 points in the fourth quarter and finished with 11 rebounds.
The Thunder’s defense made the difference, as Oklahoma City outscored Memphis 29-9 off turnovers. The Thunder forced seven turnovers in the decisive fourth quarter, leading to 14 points.
Memphis was 1-for-9 shooting with five turnovers during the Thunder’s fourth-quarter run.
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 27 to lead the Grizzlies. He scored 10 of Memphis’ 15 fourth-quarter points.
Both teams got off to hot starts offensively, with Gilgeous-Alexander and Memphis’ Scotty Pippen Jr. each scoring 12 first-quarter points as the teams combined for 65 points.
Pippen was starting his third consecutive game in place of Ja Morant, who missed his sixth consecutive game with a left hamstring strain.
Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said before the game that Morant was making “great progress” toward his return.
–Field Level Media
