Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a season-high 43 points and made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 32.6 seconds remaining, leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 117-112 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night in the first game of a back-to-back set.
Gilgeous-Alexander attempted 35 shots, the most in the NBA during the first two weeks of the season, and made 14. He went 11-of-12 from the free throw line in 38 minutes as the injury-depleted Thunder bounced back after two straight road losses by 20-plus points.
“He was putting a ton of pressure on their defense, and he had the look in his eye tonight, so we obviously rode him offensively,” OKC coach Mark Daigneault said of Gilgeous-Alexander. “It’s not our identity for 82 games, but there’s some nights when, like I said, you got a player like that that you got to just cut him loose, and he delivered in a big way.”
Late Fourth-Quarter Battle
The fourth quarter featured eight ties and eight lead changes before Gilgeous-Alexander drilled his fourth 3-pointer. Cleveland’s Sam Merrill missed a perimeter shot from the corner, and Ajay Mitchell then made it a two-possession game by sinking two free throws with 15.4 seconds remaining.
Oklahoma City has been reeling since losing three starters to long-term injuries. Mitchell scored 20 points, and Isaiah Hartenstein pulled down 14 rebounds.
Cavaliers Respond
Rookie Meleek Thomas, making his first NBA start, and Donovan Mitchell each led Cleveland with 17 points. Donovan Mitchell also delivered 11 assists, and Evan Mobley added 16 points. Gilgeous-Alexander matched his highest-scoring total in 17 games against the Cavaliers.
The loss marked Cleveland’s first home defeat in four games this season.
How the Game Unfolded
The first half produced 15 lead changes and two ties. The Thunder then closed the second quarter on a 16-6 run over the final five minutes to take a 59-48 halftime lead.
Gilgeous-Alexander made a pair of free throws to give Oklahoma City a 69-55 advantage with 9:26 remaining in the third quarter. The Cavaliers fought back by going 9-of-17 from beyond the arc in that period. Cleveland opened the fourth quarter on an 18-9 run but could not sustain the momentum.
The teams meet again Wednesday in Oklahoma City.