Browsing: GilgeousAlexanders

OKLAHOMA CITY — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 33 in three quarters, and the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Dallas Mavericks 132-111 on Friday night to claim their 14th straight win.

Gilgeous-Alexander made 10 of 12 field goals and 11 of 12 free throws to help the Thunder improve to 22-1 overall. He scored at least 20 points for the 95th straight game, the second-longest streak in league history behind Wilt Chamberlain’s 126 straight from 1961 to 1963.

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said Gilgeous-Alexander’s lethal efficiency on offense is a reflection of his steady improvement over eight seasons in the NBA.

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“He’s got a lot of experiences,” Daigneault said. “I think a 23-game playoff run [last season] was informative for everybody, including him. And he kind of channels all that into his work, which is ruthlessly consistent and very focused. So all he’s ever done is improve. You know, so at this point, as great of a player as he is, it’s not surprising when it gets even better.”

Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams each scored 15 points for the Thunder, who rolled without injured starters Lu Dort and Isaiah Hartenstein. Oklahoma City shot 56% from the field and made 26 of 28 free throws.

Dallas, though, also dealing with several injuries, had won three straight. Star rookie Cooper Flagg, who averaged 27 points during the winning streak, scored 16 on Friday.

Jaden Hardy led Dallas with 23 points. He made 8 of 13 field goals, including 5 of 9 3-pointers. Naji Marshall added 18 points for the Mavericks.

Dallas’ Anthony Davis, who averaged 20.6 points before Friday night, did not score in the first three quarters. He finally scored on a layup with just over eight minutes remaining. He finished with two points on 1-for-9 shooting, though he had eight rebounds and six assists.

Gilgeous-Alexander scored 17 points in the first half to help Oklahoma City take a 63-48 lead at the break. The Thunder took charge in the third, outscoring the Mavericks 41-26 to go up 104-74 heading into the fourth. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 16 points in the quarter, making 5 of 6 field goals and all four free throw attempts.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Oct 31, 2025, 07:21 PM ET

OKLAHOMA CITY — Police on Friday were investigating a burglary at a home reported to belong to the Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander that happened while the NBA’s reigning MVP was playing a game the night before.

The Thunder referred questions to police in Nichols Hills, an enclave north of downtown Oklahoma City. Police would not confirm who lived in the house or say what might have been taken from it.

Officers responded to a report of a burglary at the home around 7:45 p.m. Thursday, when the Thunder were playing at home against the Washington Wizards. Local news stations in Oklahoma City showed police at the home.

“The suspects fled the area prior to police arrival,” police said in a statement. “While no arrests have been made, there is no reason to believe the public is in any danger.”

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The break-in mirrored a slew of burglaries at the homes of well-known professional athletes across the U.S. in recent months. The players have been targeted because of the high-end products believed to be in their homes.

Athletes whose homes have been burglarized include the NFL’s Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Joe Burrow, the NBA’s Luka Doncic and the NHL’s Evgeni Malkin.

Law enforcement officials have previously warned sports leagues that thieves have been striking on game days when they knew the players would not be home, often smashing through rear windows.

The NBA sent a memo to teams in November 2024 urging vigilance when it comes to home security. Among its recommendations, the league suggests players: Install updated alarm systems with cameras and utilize them whenever leaving the home, keep valuables in locked and secured safes, remove online real estate listings that may show interior photos of a home, utilize protective guard services during extended trips away from home and even have dogs assist with home protection.

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  Tim MacMahonOct 22, 2025, 01:24 AM ET

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  • Joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009
  • Covers the Dallas Cowboys and Dallas Mavericks
  • Appears regularly on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM

OKLAHOMA CITY — The symbolism didn’t strike Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the moment as the clock ticked down in the second overtime of Tuesday night’s season opener against the Rockets.

His sole focus was on trying to figure out a way to score the winning points, not on the fact Kevin Durant was defending him. The superstar matchup in the deciding moments of a thrilling season opener probably wasn’t lost on the Paycom Center sellout crowd, which spent the night booing Durant and celebrating Gilgeous-Alexander and his Thunder teammates after finally watching a championship banner raised to the rafters.

“Just trying to get to a shot I’m comfortable shooting in those moments,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “My brain is so in the moment that all those things I don’t even realize.”

Instead of creating a clean look, Gilgeous-Alexander got Durant to bite on a pump fake and foul him. The reigning MVP sank both free throws with 2.3 seconds left, capping a 35-point performance to lift the defending champions to a 125-124 win. Gilgeous-Alexander spoiled Durant’s debut with the Rockets, his fourth team since his free agency departure from the Thunder that is still a sore subject in Oklahoma City more than nine years later.

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Gilgeous-Alexander described the pregame ceremony to celebrate last season’s championship as “surreal.” Durant and the Rockets retreated to the visitors locker room as the Thunder received their championship rings — featuring more than 800 custom-cut, hand-set diamonds and gemstones — before raising the championship banner alongside the center scoreboard.

“It felt like it was going up for 10 minutes,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It was an amazing moment. I’ll remember it for the rest of my life.”

It took Gilgeous-Alexander most of the game to find a rhythm against the supersized Rockets’ swarming, physical defense, which prioritized forcing the ball out of his hands as much as possible while his All-NBA co-star, Jalen Williams, watched from the bench as he recovers from offseason wrist surgery.

Houston held Gilgeous-Alexander to five points in the first half, fewer than any of his halftime totals from last season, when he led the league with 32.7 points per game. Power forward/center Chet Holmgren scored 18 of his 28 points in the first half to keep the Thunder within striking distance despite Gilgeous-Alexander’s uncharacteristically quiet start.

Gilgeous-Alexander managed only five shots from the field in the first two quarters, committing three turnovers and dishing out only one assist despite repeatedly passing out of double-teams.

“He just stays in the game,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “It wasn’t a perfect night for him, but he just stays in it. He understands the 48-minute nature. He understands the 82-game nature. It’s not always going to be perfect. And tonight wasn’t perfect for us collectively. And the guys just kind of played the next play, never lost our focus or resolve.”

It wasn’t until the fourth quarter — after Oklahoma City trailed by as many as 12 points — that Gilgeous-Alexander found any sort of groove. He had 12 points in that quarter, one more than he had in the first three quarters combined, highlighted by a tough midrange pull-up jumper over a tight contest by All-Defensive stopper Amen Thompson to tie the score with three seconds remaining.

“As the game went on, naturally the coverages got looser,” said Gilgeous-Alexander, who was 12-of-26 from the field but only 1-of-9 from 3-point range. “I was able to get downhill and to my spots a little bit.”

Gilgeous-Alexander added 12 points in the two overtime periods. He had a chance to win it on the final possession of the first overtime, but Houston’s Tari Eason got a piece of the ball on his baseline jumper. Gilgeous-Alexander scored five points in the final minute as Oklahoma City came back and closed the door.

“You can’t hold down great players all game,” Oklahoma City forward Alex Caruso said. “You can do a job for a while. I think he still ended up with 35, and he had a slow night. That’s just him.”

According to ESPN Research, Gilgeous-Alexander became only the third reigning MVP to record at least 35 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in a season opener, joining Stephen Curry in 2015 and Shaquille O’Neal in 2000. Gilgeous-Alexander also had two blocks and two steals, making multiple clutch defensive plays.

“I need to be better,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We need to be better than what we just did. We’re going to be a better team in a few months, but I fully believe this team will use tonight as a learning experience. … It was ugly tonight, but I’d rather it be ugly in a win than a loss for sure.”

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