Gilgeous-Alexander’s 34 help Thunder push win streak to 4
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points, and the Oklahoma City Thunder rallied from 15 points down in the second half to beat the Orlando Magic 116-108 on Tuesday night for their fourth straight win.
Aleksej Pokusevski added 16 points for the Thunder, who improved to 4-3 and have a winning record for the first time since nine games into the 2020-21 season.
Wendell Carter, Jr. tied a career high with 30 points and Franz Wagner added 20 for Orlando. Paolo Banchero, the No. 1 pick in the 2022 draft, had 15 points and eight rebounds.
Orlando led 66-63 at halftime, then scored the first nine points of the third quarter. The Magic extended the lead to 86-71 with just under 5 minutes left in the third quarter. The Thunder chipped away, and Orlando led just 88-85 heading into the fourth.
Pokusevski made a 3-pointer to give the Thunder a 105-104 lead with just over 4 minutes to play, and he later made a layup to put Oklahoma City ahead 109-106. Lu Dort hit a 3-pointer with 51 seconds remaining to put the Thunder up six and in control for good.
TIP-INS
Magic: C Mo Bamba was called for a technical in the second quarter. ... Orlando was issued a technical in the fourth quarter for a second delay of game. ... Outrebounded the Thunder 49-36. ... F Bol Bol had four blocks. He entered the night ranked fourth in the league with 2.4 per game. He also had 13 points and 12 rebounds.
Thunder: G Josh Giddey had 10 assists in his return from an ankle injury. ... Rookie G Jalen Williams scored six points in his first career start. ... Gilgeous-Alexander missed a free throw after making his first 34 this season. He blew past the previous Thunder record of 23 set by Danilo Gallinari in 2019.
UP NEXT
Magic: Host the Golden State Warriors on Thursday.
Thunder: Host the Denver Nuggets on Thursday.