SGA Scores 30 as Thunder Rout Wizards 114-75

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder blew out the Washington Wizards 114-75 at Paycom Center on Saturday night. Gilgeous-Alexander added nine assists in 28 minutes, 45 seconds, then sat out the fourth quarter with the game long decided.

Oklahoma City improved to 8-2 and 5-0 at home, winning its fourth straight. Washington fell to 4-6 and has lost three in a row. The Wizards’ 75 points were their fewest in a game since the 2017-18 season.

A Late First-Quarter Run Flipped It

Washington actually led 16-15 late in the first quarter. That did not last. Gilgeous-Alexander hit a step-back jumper, then attacked for a layup to start a 10-3 finish that sent Oklahoma City into the second up 25-19. The Thunder kept pouring it on with Gilgeous-Alexander on the bench, ripping off a 16-4 burst early in the second. Ajay Mitchell and Jared McCain combined to score Oklahoma City’s first 16 points of the period.

By halftime it was 57-36. The Thunder won the second quarter 32-17 and the third 33-23, then closed it 24-16. They never trailed again after that first-quarter swing and led by as many as 43.

Washington Could Not Buy a Basket

The Wizards shot 29 of 98 from the field (29.6 percent), their lowest mark since December 2017, and went 7 of 43 from three (16.3 percent). They attempted six more shots than Oklahoma City and still made 16 fewer baskets. Trae Young, playing his first game in his home state since being traded to Washington, finished with four points on 1-of-6 shooting.

AJ Dybantsa led the Wizards with 19 points. Alex Sarr had 15 points and 14 rebounds, and Kyshawn George added 14 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three blocks. Anthony Davis, Washington’s leading scorer at 23.4 points per game, sat with an ankle injury. Deandre Ayton left late in the second quarter with a lower-leg injury after logging just 7 minutes, 19 seconds and did not return.

OKC Keeps Finding Answers

Gilgeous-Alexander went 11 of 20 from the field and 3 of 5 from three, with five makes on six free throws. McCain scored 19 off the bench on 8-of-10 shooting. Rookie Aday Mara, making his second start, had a season-high 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting to go with eight rebounds and three blocks. Isaiah Hartenstein grabbed 14 rebounds and handed out six assists.

Oklahoma City shot 45 of 92 (48.9 percent), won the assist battle 33-20, and outscored Washington 56-32 in the paint. The Thunder are 5-2 since Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, and Cason Wallace all went down with long-term injuries on Oct. 25. They have also won nine straight meetings with the Wizards.

Oklahoma City visits the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday. Washington hosts the Detroit Pistons on Monday and will have to shoot a lot better than 29.6 percent to climb out of this skid.

Smacktok pick lean: Lean higher on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander points at Portland on Tuesday. He had 30 points and nine assists in under 29 minutes Saturday and did not need the fourth quarter once the Thunder put the Wizards away.