By ASSOCIATED PRESS
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 33 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder won their seventh straight game to improve to 15-1, beating the Sacramento Kings, 113-99, on Wednesday night, Nov. 19.
Chet Holmgren had 21 points and Lu Dort scored all 14 of his points in the second half, including 11 in the fourth quarter for the defending champion Thunder. They have won all three matchups with the Kings.
Dennis Schroder scored 21 points and DeMar DeRozan added 17 for the Kings, who lost their seventh straight. Kings big man Domantas Sabonis sat out because of soreness in his left knee.
The Thunder started the season with a pair of double-overtime wins and had some close calls before finally losing to Portland. Since the loss, they have won every game — with an average margin of 20.3 points. All have been by double digits. Included in the run is a 24-point victory over Golden State and a 29-point win over the Los Angeles Lakers on back-to-back nights last week at home.
Former Thunder star Russell Westbrook, as usual, got a warm reception from the Oklahoma City crowd during starter introductions. He was the league MVP in 2017 and a two-time scoring champion with the Thunder. He had another solid game in the familiar surroundings, posting seven points, 10 rebounds and six assists.
Sacramento’s Zach LaVine made a shot from beyond halfcourt as the first half expired, but it was ruled that he shot it after the buzzer, and the Thunder maintained a 58-50 lead at the break.
Gilgeous-Alexander worked some magic late in the third quarter. He banked in a mid-range jumper from near the right side of the free throw line and was fouled and made the free throw to put the Thunder up 83-67. Oklahoma City took an 83-69 advantage into the fourth.
Meanwhile in Miami, Norman Powell scored 25 points, Bam Adebayo returned to score 20 and the Heat pulled away late to top the extremely short-handed Golden State Warriors, 110-96.
Former Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins scored 17 and Kel’el Ware grabbed 16 rebounds for Miami, which outscored Golden State 38-22 in the fourth quarter.
The Warriors, at the end of a six-game, nine-day trip, were without their four highest-paid players: Stephen Curry (ankle), former Heat forward Jimmy Butler (back), Draymond Green (illness) and Jonathan Kuminga (knee), a group making about $162 million this season. Al Horford, who isn’t playing back-to-backs and appeared in Golden State’s loss at Orlando on Tuesday, also sat out.
Brandin Podziemski scored 20 for Golden State, which got 19 from Quinten Post and 18 from Buddy Hield. The Warriors gave up 23 turnovers that Miami turned into 34 points — 20 more than Golden State scored off Miami’s 14 giveaways.
The teams combined to shoot 38.4%, the second-worst shooting game in the NBA so far this season. Toronto and Atlanta combined to shoot 37.4% in the Raptors’ 109-97 win on Nov. 7.
Adebayo missed Miami’s six previous games with a toe injury. The Heat are still without guard Tyler Herro, though he could make his season debut in the coming days after offseason ankle surgery.
The Warriors got into a 20-4 hole, their largest first-quarter deficit of the season. But Miami scored only 19 points in the next 12 minutes and Golden State chipped away, taking its first lead at 60-59 on a basket by Post midway through the third.
Then it was Golden State’s turn to cool. The Warriors led 74-69 late in the third, before Miami went on a 21-4 run to pull away.
