Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points, Jalen Williams added 20, and the Oklahoma City Thunder cruised past the Toronto Raptors 129-92 on Thursday night for their sixth victory in their last seven games.
Isaiah Joe contributed 16 points, while Isaiah Hartenstein grabbed 16 rebounds as the Western Conference-leading Thunder improved to 8-3 on the road. Oklahoma City was dominant defensively, tallying nine blocks and nine steals in the first half before finishing with 11 blocks and 14 steals overall.
RJ Barrett led the Raptors with 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Scottie Barnes posted 12 and 12 boards. However, Toronto suffered its worst loss of the season, surpassing its 30-point opening-night defeat against Cleveland.
The Raptors struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 11-for-45 (24.4%), marking their lowest percentage of the season.
Jakob Poeltl missed the game due to illness, but Toronto got Gradey Dick back in the lineup after a five-game absence due to a sore left calf. Dick scored 15 points in his return.
Barnes opened the game with a three-pointer, but Joe responded with back-to-back baskets, and the Thunder never trailed from that point.
Takeaways
Thunder: Gilgeous-Alexander was efficient from the field, shooting 11-for-22, but struggled from deep, making just 1 of 10 three-point attempts.
Raptors: Barrett had been on a scoring streak, posting at least 20 points in his previous four games and 25 or more in four straight home contests. However, he couldn’t extend either streak, shooting just 5-for-16 and scoring 11 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter when the game was already out of hand.
Key Moment
Oklahoma City hit its first four three-pointers of the second quarter, expanding a 17-point lead into a 26-point cushion before the period’s midway point.
Key Stat
Toronto missed 16 of its first 20 field-goal attempts and started the game shooting 6-for-26 in the opening quarter, falling behind 34-17 after one.
Up Next
- Thunder: Travel to New Orleans to face the Pelicans on Saturday night.
- Raptors: Host the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night.
