Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points to lead the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder to a 127–108 victory over the Washington Wizards at Paycom Center on Thursday night. The win improved Oklahoma City to 6-0 this season.
Reserve Ajay Mitchell added 20 points, going 6-for-6 from the free-throw line and remaining perfect on 19 attempts for the season. Isaiah Joe, returning from a knee bruise, contributed 20 points and made five 3-pointers, helping the Thunder overcome early-season struggles from beyond the arc.
Oklahoma City dominated defensively, forcing 22 turnovers while committing just six. Cason Wallace led the team with four steals, and Alex Caruso added three, keeping the Wizards off balance throughout the game.
CJ McCollum scored 19 points, and Bilal Coulibaly added 16 for Washington, which dropped its third straight game to fall to 1-4. Despite a brief surge late in the third quarter that cut the deficit to 83–81, the Thunder closed the quarter with a 9–3 run and expanded the lead to 24 points in the fourth.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 20 points in the first half, while Joe added 14 to help Oklahoma City take a 59–49 lead at the break. Jaylin Williams’ three-pointer at the end of the third quarter pushed the advantage to 92–84, setting the tone for a decisive fourth quarter.
The Thunder remain without injured forwards Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, and earlier in the day, general manager Sam Presti announced that guard Nikola Topic was diagnosed with testicular cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy. Despite these challenges, Oklahoma City maintained its championship-caliber performance.
The Wizards will host the Orlando Magic on Saturday, while the Thunder remain in Oklahoma City to face the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday.
