Thunder use third-quarter run to break away from Kings

Field Level Media|published: Sun 11th February, 17:54 2024

Feb 11, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) reaches to steal the ball from Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes (40) during the first quarter at Paycom Center. credits: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 38 points and Jalen Williams added 32 to lead the host Oklahoma City Thunder to a 127-113 win over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.

The win snapped a two-game losing streak for the Thunder, who remained one of just three NBA teams without a three-game losing streak this season.

Luguentz Dort added 17 points, nine rebounds and three steals for the Thunder, while Chet Holmgren had 14 points and four blocks.

Malik Monk came off the bench for a team-high 26 points for the Kings, who have lost three of four.

Oklahoma City broke a tie with a 12-0 run early in the second quarter and led 67-57 at halftime. Sacramento trimmed the deficit to six early in the third quarter before the Thunder made the game's biggest push.

Oklahoma City reeled off a 19-1 run to stretch the lead to a game-high 24, with Gilgeous-Alexander scoring five with two assists and a block during the stretch as the Thunder were 7-for-9 from the field during the four-minute run.

The Kings missed seven consecutive shots during the stretch, going more than four minutes without a field goal.

Gilgeous-Alexander had 10 points, four assists and a pair of blocks in the third quarter.

Sacramento didn't go away, though, cutting the deficit to 17 heading into the fourth, then starting the final quarter with a 14-5 run to get within eight.

But then Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams re-entered the game and Oklahoma City regained control.

The duo combined to score the Thunder's next nine points to steady the ship and eventually put the game away.

Williams finished 13-of-19 from the floor with seven rebounds and nine assists. His 32 points matched the second-highest total of his career.

Oklahoma City shot 54.8 percent from the floor.

A night after giving up a 47-point first quarter to the Mavericks in a road loss, the Thunder jumped out to a hot start themselves, leading by double figures just more than six minutes into the game before the Kings quickly reeled off 10 consecutive points of their own — eight by Monk.

Sacramento's Domantas Sabonis recorded his NBA-leading 17th triple-double, finishing with 21 points, 11 rebounds and 14 assists. Sabonis has back-to-back triple-doubles and four in his last five games.

—Field Level Media