Hamilton’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 37 points, Josh (*37*) had a triple-double and the Oklahoma City Thunder shot a season-high 62.5 per cent from the sector in a 145-135 victory over the New York Knicks on Sunday.
(*37*) had 24 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds for the Thunder, who picked up their fifth straight victory at Madison Square Garden. (*37*) joined Wilt Chamberlain (1968) as the one different participant in NBA historical past to document triple-doubles throughout their first two video games at MSG.
“Any time your identify is inside the firm of [Chamberlain], one of many all-time greats, is particular,” (*37*) mentioned. “But basketball is a workforce recreation, so if these issues contribute to profitable and serving to my guys round me be higher, then it makes it price it.”
Montreal’s Luguentz Dort additionally had 24 points for Oklahoma City and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl added 17.
Six Knicks scored in double figures, led by Cam Reddish, who had a season-high 26 points. Julius Randle had 25 and Immanuel Quickley chipped in 24.
RJ Barrett, the Knicks’ second-leading scorer, acquired into foul hassle and was held to a season-low 4 points on 2-of-10 taking pictures in 19 minutes. He didn’t play within the last 21-plus minutes.
“We simply acquired behind by a lot that we had been simply in search of life,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau mentioned of his choice to go away Barrett on the bench. “The group that was in there gave us just a little little bit of a spark, in order that’s the place we went with it.”
‘He’s a tricky matchup’
The Thunder surpassed their season common for points (113.4) by scoring 122 points by way of three quarters. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 21 within the third, and the Thunder used a 17-2 run to flip a three-point recreation right into a rout.
The groups set a torrid tempo from the outset, with New York placing up 48 first-quarter points, a season excessive for a single quarter. New York, which led by as many as 13, shot 64.5 per cent from the sector within the first quarter and went 4 of seven from 3-point vary, with 12 assists on its 20 subject objectives.
Oklahoma City set a season excessive by scoring 43 points within the second quarter, then duplicated it within the third. The Thunder made 74 per cent of their pictures within the second and turned a 12-point deficit right into a six-point halftime lead. The Thunder, who outscored the Knicks by 18 within the second quarter, scored a season-high 79 first-half points and closed the body with a 24-12 run.
Hot half within the Garden as SGA knocks down the ninth three-pointer of the day for the Thunder 👌 <a href=”https://t.co/o3VA5UQINV”>pic.twitter.com/o3VA5UQINV</a>
—@okcthunder
“We clearly did not begin the best way we needed,” Daigneault mentioned. “I assumed we did an incredible job of course-correcting within the second quarter and simply settled again into our stuff and acquired management of the sport going into the half.”
In the Thunder’s final go to to MSG, (*37*) completed with 28 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds in a 127-123 additional time victory on Feb. 14.
“We solely come [to MSG] as soon as [per season], so we have to take advantage of it,” (*37*) mentioned.
The Thunder will subsequent face the Celtics on Monday in Boston.