Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 29 points, and the Oklahoma City Thunder held off the New Orleans Pelicans 104-95 on Tuesday night to avoid their first three-game skid of the season.
Chet Holmgren added 20 points, 14 rebounds, and five blocks for the NBA-best Thunder (38-10), who were missing starters Jalen Williams, Isaiah Hartenstein, Cason Wallace, and key reserve Alex Caruso due to injuries. Isaiah Joe contributed 17 points off the bench.
Gilgeous-Alexander went 8-for-22 from the field but was nearly perfect from the free-throw line, hitting 13 of 14. The 24-year-old extended his streak of 20-point games to 118, the second-longest run in NBA history.
Zion Williamson led New Orleans with 21 points and 11 rebounds on 8-of-11 shooting, while Saddiq Bey added 16 points and 13 boards. The Pelicans had won two straight before Tuesday’s loss.
Tempers flared late in the game, starting when Bey and Thunder forward Jaylin Williams were assessed technical fouls after tangling. With nine seconds remaining, Jeremiah Fears and Lu Dort grabbed each other’s jerseys before being separated, sparking a brief scuffle involving players from both teams.
Oklahoma City overcame a slow start, missing its first eight shots, while New Orleans was just 1-for-9. Dort’s 3-pointer just before halftime gave the Thunder a 48-46 lead. In the third, Holmgren’s triple made it 74-64, and Dort’s next 3 pushed the lead to 88-73. The Pelicans rallied with a 14-2 run to make it 92-87, but Dort’s fourth 3-pointer put the game out of reach at 98-87 with 3:26 left.
Up next:
Pelicans: Host Memphis on Friday night
Thunder: At Minnesota on Thursday night
