Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a season-high 43 points and made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 32.6 seconds remaining, leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 117-112 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night in the first game of a back-to-back set.
Gilgeous-Alexander Carries the Load
Gilgeous-Alexander attempted 35 shots, the most in the NBA during the first two weeks of the season, and made 14 of them. He went 11-of-12 from the free throw line in 38 minutes as the injury-depleted Thunder bounced back after two straight road losses by 20-plus points.
“He was putting a ton of pressure on their defense, and he had the look in his eye tonight, so we obviously rode him offensively,” OKC coach Mark Daigneault said of Gilgeous-Alexander. “It’s not our identity for 82 games, but there’s some nights when, like I said, you got a player like that that you got to just cut him loose, and he delivered in a big way.”
A Tense Fourth Quarter
The fourth quarter featured eight ties and eight lead changes before Gilgeous-Alexander drilled his fourth 3-pointer of the game. Cleveland’s Sam Merrill missed a perimeter shot from the corner, and Ajay Mitchell then made it a two-possession game by sinking two free throws with 15.4 seconds remaining.
Oklahoma City has been reeling since the loss of three starters to long-term injuries. Mitchell scored 20 points, and Isaiah Hartenstein pulled down 14 rebounds for the Thunder.
Cavaliers Respond
Gilgeous-Alexander matched his highest-scoring total in 17 games against the Cavaliers. Rookie Meleek Thomas, making his first NBA start, and Donovan Mitchell each scored 17 points to lead Cleveland. Donovan Mitchell also dished out 11 assists, and Evan Mobley added 16 points.
The loss was the Cavaliers’ first at home in four games this season.
Thunder Build a Halftime Lead
The first half included 15 lead changes and two ties. Oklahoma City then went on a 16-6 run over the final five minutes of the second quarter to take a 59-48 lead into halftime.
Gilgeous-Alexander made a pair of free throws to give the Thunder a 69-55 advantage with 9:26 remaining in the third quarter. Cleveland battled back by shooting 9-of-17 from beyond the arc in the quarter, and it opened the fourth with an 18-9 run but could not sustain the momentum.
What’s Next
The teams meet again Wednesday in Oklahoma City.