Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points and Chet Holmgren had 28 points and eight rebounds as the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder routed the Cleveland Cavaliers 136-104 on Monday afternoon.
Isaiah Joe had 18 points and Luguentz Dort added 16 for the Thunder, who tied their season high with 23 3-pointers. Dort drained five of the threes, while Joe and Holmgren had four apiece as Oklahoma City won for the sixth time in its last seven games.
The defending NBA champion Thunder owns the best record in the league at 36-8. They handed Cleveland its largest loss of the season and its worst in two seasons under coach Kenny Atkinson.
Donovan Mitchell paced the Cavaliers with 19 points, but made just 5 of 18 field goal attempts and went 1 of 9 beyond the arc. Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, Jaylon Tyson and De’Andre Hunter each had 16 points as Cleveland’s two-game win streak ended.
Tyson grabbed 10 rebounds and Allen had nine rebounds and three blocked shots. Cleveland is 6-8 at home since Nov. 30 and 14-11 overall in its arena this season.
The Thunder pushed their lead out to 74-54 in the third quarter before Cleveland made a push, cutting its deficit to 81-72 on a pair of free throws from Allen.
Holmgren took over at the start of the fourth, scoring eight points in the first 140 seconds to put Oklahoma City back in command 102-84. Its largest advantage was 32.
Gilgeous-Alexander posted his 30th 30-point game of the season, while the Thunder outscored the Cavaliers by 34 points when Holmgren or Dort were on the floor.
Oklahoma City extended its advantage to 66-49 in the final minute of the second on back-to-back baskets by Gilgeous-Alexander, who had 16 points in the opening half.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 10 points while playing the entire first, which ended with the Thunder ahead 32-27 after building an 11-point lead. Mobley had eight points for Cleveland.
Oklahoma City guard Alex Caruso (right groin soreness) and forward Jaylin Williams (low back bruise) did not play in the second half.
Thunder small forward Jalen Williams, who is averaging 16.8 points, is out indefinitely with a right hamstring strain after being hurt Saturday at the Miami Heat. Starting center Isaiah Hartenstein hasn’t played since Dec. 28 because of a right calf strain.
Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland will be sidelined for at least one week after spraining his right big toe Jan. 14 at the Philadelphia 76ers, while shooting guard Sam Merrill has missed his second straight game Monday with a left ankle sprain.
–Field Level Media
