The Thunder didn't give the Knicks much chance from the start of the game, burying them early and restarting its winning streak.
NEW YORK (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 39 points in 29 minutes, and the Oklahoma City Thunder emphatically bounced back to rout the New York Knicks 126-101 on Friday night in the first game since their 15-game winning streak was snapped.
The Thunder (30-6) are fresh off their first loss in over a month. The Cleveland Cavaliers snapped OKC's franchise-best 15-game win streak on Wednesday. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 31 points. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen each had a 20-plus-point double-double.
Oklahoma City boasts the top defense in the NBA, holding opposing teams to just 103.5 points per game with a league-best 103.4 defensive net rating. They’re doing it on the back of a stable of dominant perimeter defenders, which include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace.
The first quarter was a showdown between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Brunson. SGA had 13 points and three rebounds in the period. Oklahoma ended the period with a 15-2 blast to take a 31-17 lead.
For the second time this month, the New York Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder square off in what has been an insane stretch for the Thunder. OKC had its 15-game
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The Oklahoma City Thunder head to Madison Square Garden to face the New York Knicks in a non-conference matchup. The Thunder are 30-6, at the top of the Western Conference. The Knicks are 25-13, which puts them in third in the Eastern Conference.
The third quarter in Wednesday night's nationally televised clash of titans between the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder and NBA-leading Cleveland Cavaliers offered relentless offense.
The Raptors experimented with a center-less lineup in the second quarter, using Scottie Barnes as their de facto big man. It’s a look Toronto has rarely deployed this season, but given Kelly Olynyk’s struggles this year, it’s a wrinkle the Raptors might want to explore more often.
Off the back of contrasting results last time out, NBA championship hopefuls New York Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder will both be looking to put on a show in Saturday's meeting at Madison Square Garden.