SGA drops 30 as OKC thunders past walking-wounded Golden State
SAN FRANCISCO—Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 30 points and seven assists and the Oklahoma City Thunder dominated the short-handed Golden State Warriors for a 131-94 win on Friday night.
Stephen Curry sat out because of a left ankle sprain and backcourt mate Jimmy Butler became ill earlier in the day. Draymond Green rested, while Jonathan Kuminga missed the game with back soreness.
That left Steve Kerr’s starting lineup as Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, Will Richard, Gui Santos and Quinten Post.
Kerr was optimistic Curry would play on Saturday against the Jazz.
Gilgeous-Alexander shot 10-for-20 with three triples and converted all seven of his free throws for his seventh game in the last nine with 30 or more points—and now three straight. He had 38 points on 13-for-21 shooting with five three-pointers in the last matchup against the Warriors.
Chet Holmgren contributed 15 points and a season-best 15 rebounds—two off his career high—as Oklahoma City (30-5) won a fourth straight following its first two-game skid of the season.
The run that does it
Richard had 13 points and five rebounds, Al Horford and Moody also scored 13, while Pat Spencer dished out 11 assists against the defending champion Thunder, who had lost their previous two road games but also won 124-112 at Golden State exactly a month earlier.
Richard’s three-pointer with 7:19 left in the second quarter got Golden State within 38-36 before Oklahoma City answered with a 19-0 run to go ahead 64-45 at halftime.
The Warriors had won two straight, five of six and three in a row at home, where they are in a stretch with 10-of-11 at Chase Center.
Meanwhile, in New York, Jalen Johnson had 18 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in his seventh triple-double of the season, leading the Atlanta Hawks to a 111-99 victory over the New York Knicks.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 23 points and Onyeka Okongwu had 22 for the Hawks, while both Zaccharie Risacher and Luke Kennard scored 12.
Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 24 points. OG Anunoby had 19 points and 10 rebounds and Mikal Bridges added 18 points.
Ariel Hukporti, who replaced Karl-Anthony Towns (illness) in the starting lineup, grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds for New York.
