Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a season-high 43 points and hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 32.6 seconds remaining as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 117-112 on Monday night in the first game of a back-to-back set.
Gilgeous-Alexander took 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 from 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,” Thunder 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.”
Late fourth-quarter swings
The game featured eight ties and eight lead changes in the fourth quarter before Gilgeous-Alexander drilled his fourth 3-pointer of the night. Cleveland’s Sam Merrill missed a perimeter shot from the corner, and Ajay Mitchell then sank two free throws with 15.4 seconds left to make it a two-possession game.
Mitchell finished with 20 points for Oklahoma City, while Isaiah Hartenstein pulled down 14 rebounds. The Thunder have been reeling since losing three starters to long-term injuries.
Cavaliers’ response
Rookie Meleek Thomas, making his first NBA start, and Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 17 points apiece. Mitchell also dished out 11 assists, and Evan Mobley added 16 points. It was the Cavaliers’ first home loss in four games this season.
Thunder take control before halftime
The first half produced 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 lead 59-48 at 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, going 9-of-17 from beyond the arc in the period. The Cavaliers opened the fourth quarter on an 18-9 run but could not sustain the momentum.
The teams meet again on Wednesday in Oklahoma City.