Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter, as the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the New York Knicks 111-100 on Sunday at Paycom Center. He extended his NBA record for consecutive games with at least 20 points to 135 while shooting 13 of 16 from the free-throw line.
“Yeah, we just hunkered down defensively in the fourth quarter,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “They threw zone at us in the fourth, kind of stalled us a little bit, but offensively we got quality possessions, made the right basketball plays, and we’re able to extend our lead.”
Jalen Williams contributed 22 points, shooting 7 of 11 from the floor and making all seven free throws. Gilgeous-Alexander praised his teammate’s performance. “Dub was great tonight. He attacked the game within his skill set, was aggressive. I try to do the same late,” he said.
Despite a rough shooting night early, Gilgeous-Alexander delivered in clutch moments. “You can feel when you’re in a better rhythm than other nights or a worse rhythm, but the only way to get out of it is to play through it, be aggressive, trust your work, trust your instincts, make the right basketball play, and believe that every next play is the turning point,” he explained.
On Williams’ recovery from a torn ligament last summer, Gilgeous-Alexander emphasized trust in his teammate. “Dub is such a big part of why we won last year. If we want to defend this year, he’s going to be such a big part of it. We have no choice but to trust him, put the ball in his hands, and make plays around him,” he said.
Gilgeous-Alexander also reflected on closing out games. “It’s winning time. The final minutes are the ones where you can have the biggest imprint, close the game out. I’m confident in my ability, whether the ball’s going in or out.”
Other contributors helped secure the win. Chet Holmgren added 16 points and nine rebounds, while Alex Caruso provided key defensive plays. Oklahoma City outscored New York 31-13 from the free-throw line and improved to 59-16, leading the San Antonio Spurs by 2 1/2 games for the league’s best record.
The Knicks were paced by Jalen Brunson with 32 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns grabbed 18 rebounds and scored 15 points. New York fell to 48-27 and remains 2 1/2 games behind the Boston Celtics for second place in the Eastern Conference.
Oklahoma City will host the Detroit Pistons on Monday, while New York visits the Houston Rockets on Tuesday.
