The Oklahoma City Thunder improved to 8-0 with a 126-107 win against the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night at Intuit Dome. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the charge with 30 points and 12 assists, shooting 64.3% from the field and hitting four 3-pointers.
Isaiah Joe contributed 22 points while Cason Wallace and Aaron Wiggins each added 12 as the Thunder overcame an early Clippers surge to set a franchise record for consecutive season-opening wins. Oklahoma City trailed by 13 points in the first half before taking a decisive lead in the third quarter.
Aaron Wiggins’ 3-pointer with 3:34 remaining in the third gave the Thunder an 81-78 lead. A late 3rd-quarter run, capped by consecutive triples from Joe and Gilgeous-Alexander, extended the streak to 17-0 going into the fourth. Oklahoma City opened the final period with an 11-0 run to put the game out of reach.
The Clippers were led by James Harden’s 25 points and John Collins’ 17 but struggled without Kawhi Leonard (ankle) and Bradley Beal (knee). Derrick Jones Jr. added 16 points as Los Angeles dropped consecutive home games after winning their first three at Intuit Dome.
The Thunder shot 52.3% overall and 47.4% from 3-point range, with 18 assists from Gilgeous-Alexander and contributions across the roster from Hartenstein, Holmgren, Dort, Wallace, Joe, and Wiggins. Los Angeles managed 41.3% shooting and 41.9% from beyond the arc but were unable to close the gap after falling behind in the second half.
Oklahoma City will visit the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night, while the Clippers travel to face the Phoenix Suns on Thursday.
