Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 27 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Golden State Warriors 104-97 on Saturday night at Paycom Center.
The victory marked Oklahoma City’s fifth consecutive win and pushed the defending champions to the first 50-win mark in the NBA this season.
Gilgeous-Alexander continued one of the league’s most consistent scoring streaks. The All-Star guard has now scored at least 20 points in 125 straight games.
The Thunder star can tie Wilt Chamberlain’s record of 126 consecutive 20-point games when Oklahoma City hosts the Denver Nuggets on Monday night.
Although Gilgeous-Alexander made just 6 of 15 field-goal attempts, he controlled the scoring flow at the free-throw line.
He converted 14 of 15 attempts from the stripe, repeatedly attacking the paint and forcing Golden State defenders into fouls.
Oklahoma City improved to 5-0 since Gilgeous-Alexander returned from an abdominal strain that sidelined him earlier this season.
The Thunder were short-handed entering the game. Chet Holmgren missed the matchup due to illness, while Jalen Williams sat out with a strained right hamstring.
Center Isaiah Hartenstein was also unavailable because of a left calf bruise.
Despite the missing starters, Oklahoma City built control early with balanced scoring and strong rebounding.
The Thunder carried a 67-54 lead into halftime behind 13 points from Kenrich Williams and 12 from Gilgeous-Alexander.
Golden State remained within reach thanks to Gui Santos, who scored 14 first-half points and finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds.
The Warriors increased defensive pressure in the third quarter and briefly erased the deficit.
A three-pointer by Malevy Leons tied the score at 77 with just over four minutes left in the period.
Oklahoma City responded before the quarter ended and carried an 86-83 lead into the fourth.
Isaiah Joe provided key perimeter scoring for the Thunder and finished with 18 points.
Jaylin Williams controlled the glass with 14 rebounds while adding nine points and four assists.
Golden State received 17 points from Brandin Podziemski and 16 from Draymond Green.
However, the Warriors struggled to convert consistently and shot 40.9 percent from the field while making 14 of 45 attempts from three-point range.
Golden State also played without franchise star Stephen Curry, who missed his 13th straight game because of a right knee issue.
The game tightened in the closing minute before Gilgeous-Alexander delivered the decisive play.
With Oklahoma City leading 99-97, the Thunder guard buried a three-pointer over Green with 42.4 seconds remaining to extend the lead to five.
Oklahoma City closed out the win at the free-throw line to maintain its hold on the NBA’s best record.
The Warriors will travel to face the Utah Jazz on Monday. The Thunder return home the same night to host the Nuggets.
