First-place Thunder take charge early, coast to win over struggling Pelicans

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points and the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder never trailed while defeating the New Orleans Pelicans 119-109 on Saturday night.

Jalen Williams scored 27 points, Luguentz Dort and Alex Caruso had 14 each, Isaiah Hartenstein added 12 points and 12 rebounds and Ajay Mitchell scored 10 for the West-leading Thunder (18-5), who won for the seventh time in their last eight games.

Dejounte Murray scored 26 points, Herbert Jones had 24, Trey Murphy III had 16 and CJ McCollum and Brandon Boston Jr. added 11 each for the Pelicans (5-19), who lost for the 10th time in their last 11 games. Forward Brandon Ingram, the team's leading scorer who was playing in his second game after a five-game absence due to a calf injury, scored five points before leaving the game in the third quarter after injuring his left ankle.

The Pelicans were behind by 26 points when Ingram was injured 17 seconds into the second half, and the closest they got the rest of the way was a nine-point deficit.

Gilgeous-Alexander scored the first six points of the game and the Thunder scored the first 10. They expanded the lead to 17 points as New Orleans committed six turnovers during the first six minutes.

Murphy had five points and an assist during the final three minutes of the first quarter, but Gilgeous-Alexander made all seven of his field-goal attempts and finished with 16 points to help the Thunder to a 35-23 lead at the end of the period.

Ingram made two free throws to start the second-quarter scoring, but that would be the closest the Pelicans would get. Five Oklahoma City players scored during an 11-2 run that took the lead to 46-27. Oklahoma City increased the lead to 30 points twice on its way to a 77-51 halftime lead.

--Field Level Media