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Dec 31, 2024 10:41 pm

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder top Wolves for 12th straight win

shai gilgeous-alexander

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 40 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to their 12th consecutive victory, a 113-105 decision over the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday.

The streak is the Thunder’s longest since early in the 2012-13 season and ties the longest run since the franchise moved to Oklahoma City. The club’s all-time mark is a 12-game streak by the 1995-96 Seattle SuperSonics.

After a slow start, Isaiah Hartenstein finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds for Oklahoma City. Luguentz Dort and Jalen Williams each had 14 points and seven rebounds, and Williams added seven assists.

Anthony Edwards scored 13 of his 20 points in the second quarter for the Timberwolves, whose three-game winning streak was snapped. Naz Reid produced 19 points and eight rebounds, Mike Conley scored 16 points, Julius Randle logged 11 points and six assists, and Donte DiVincenzo had 10 points and five assists.

After trailing by 14 heading into the fourth, the Timberwolves twice cut the deficit to three in the final 3:14, but each time, Oklahoma City responded.

The last came with just less than two minutes remaining when Williams flung the ball from under the basket to Gilgeous-Alexander near the top of the key for a 3-pointer to give the Thunder a six-point lead with 1:48 to go.

It was Gilgeous-Alexander’s fourth 40-point game of the season. Three of those contests were during Oklahoma City’s current winning streak.

As the clock ticked down in what had already been a dominant third quarter for the Thunder, Gilgeous-Alexander drove to the bucket, scooping the ball to the rim where it hung for a moment or two before falling through as the home crowd erupted.

It was Gilgeous-Alexander’s seventh field goal of the quarter, giving him 19 points in the frame.

The Timberwolves turned the ball over 11 times in the third, leading to 20 of Oklahoma City’s 43 points in the quarter.

The Thunder finished with 31 points off Minnesota’s season-high 24 turnovers. Oklahoma City gave the ball away 13 times, leading to 10 points.

For much of the first half, the Timberwolves set the tone on defense, making it difficult for Oklahoma City to consistently get to the basket as the Thunder shot 39.6 percent from the field before the break.

Minnesota led 52-46 at halftime, but a 43-23 advantage for Oklahoma City in the third quarter turned the game around.

–Field Level Media

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