Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a career-high 54 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 123-114 home win over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, January 22 (Thursday, January 23, Manila time).
Neither team led by double digits until the Thunder pulled away in the last 3 1/2 minutes.
Jalen Williams finished off a three-point play to break a tie at 106-106 with just more than five minutes remaining, kicking off a closing 17-8 run.
Gilgeous-Alexander helped break the game open, coming up with the rebound on his own missed three-pointer, then making a three-pointer to put Oklahoma City ahead by 9 with 3:32 remaining.
After he hit a pair of free throws put the Thunder ahead by 11, their biggest lead of the game, Gilgeous-Alexander hit a fadeaway jumper in the lane for his first career 50-point game.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s previous career high was 45, accomplished twice earlier this season. He attempted a career-high 35 shots, making 17, and also went 17 of 18 from the free throw line.
Gilgeous-Alexander also had 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks.
Williams, who missed Sunday’s win over Brooklyn with a strained right hip, had 25 points with his parents in the stands wearing split Oklahoma City-Utah jerseys.
Williams’ brother, Cody, plays for the Jazz but missed the game with a sprained left ankle.
After a bit of a slow start, Gilgeous-Alexander surged late in the first, scoring 15 points in the quarter. But the Thunder were just 2 of 10 from beyond the arc in the opening quarter.
Oklahoma City led by 9 with just more than five minutes remaining in the second quarter before the Jazz ripped off a 15-6 run to tie the game.
Lauri Markkanen scored 7 of his 17 points during the stretch.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 18 points in Oklahoma City’s 38-point third quarter
John Collins led Utah with 22 points and added 12 rebounds, Collin Sexton finished with 18 points and 9 assists, and Walker Kessler had 17 points and 15 rebounds.
The Thunder have won 21 of their last 23 games, while the Jazz have lost four straight and 12 of 15. – Rappler.com