The Oklahoma City Thunder strengthened their hold on the Western Conference’s top seed with a 121-105 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday night.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers with 31 points and eight assists, while Isaiah Hartenstein posted a career-high 24 points along with 12 rebounds. Oklahoma City (56-12) secured its 10th victory in 11 games, shooting 51.7% from the field.
Milwaukee (38-29) struggled offensively, finishing with its lowest first-half scoring output of the season. Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded his 52nd career triple-double with 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists, but the Bucks shot just 39.8% overall.
The Thunder seized control late in the second quarter, closing the half on a 13-0 run to lead 53-41 at the break. Milwaukee failed to score for nearly eight minutes, a drought that extended into the third quarter.
Isaiah Joe contributed 19 points off the bench, and Chet Holmgren added 16 points and eight rebounds as Oklahoma City remained dominant despite missing Jalen Williams and Luguentz Dort due to injuries.
Damian Lillard finished with 19 points but made only three field goals for Milwaukee. The Bucks trailed by as many as 25 points and could not recover, despite a 33-point third quarter.
Both teams were playing on the second night of a back-to-back, but the Thunder showed more energy throughout. Oklahoma City had a balanced offensive attack, while its defense limited Milwaukee’s perimeter shooting.
