Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 36 points, had nine assists, and grabbed six rebounds to help the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Los Angeles Lakers 101-93 in an NBA Cup game on Friday.
The Thunder improved to 2-1 in West Group B, while the Lakers, who won the NBA Cup last year, dropped to 2-2.
Jalen Williams contributed 19 points, Luguentz Dort added 14 points, and Isaiah Hartenstein finished with 11 points and a season-high 18 rebounds. The Thunder extended their winning streak to four games.
For the Lakers, rookie Dalton Knecht led with 20 points, D’Angelo Russell came off the bench to score 17 points, and Anthony Davis recorded 15 points, 12 rebounds, and four blocks. LeBron James had 12 points, eight rebounds, and six assists, while Austin Reeves chipped in with 11 points. The Lakers have now lost four of their last five games.
Gilgeous-Alexander took control in the final quarter, scoring 15 points. With 1:35 left, he made a 3-pointer to give Oklahoma City a 95-91 lead. Max Christie made a turnaround jumper with 39.9 seconds left, pulling the Lakers within two at 95-93.
Gilgeous-Alexander responded by hitting two free throws, and then Williams stole the ball from Reeves on an inbounds pass and dunked to seal the win for the Thunder.
Oklahoma City shot 40.9 percent from the field and scored 20 points off 17 turnovers by the Lakers.
The Thunder started strong, hitting seven of their first nine shots and taking a 15-6 lead with 7:43 remaining in the first quarter. They led 32-24 at the end of the first period.
Los Angeles responded with the first seven points of the second quarter to trim the deficit to one. The Lakers briefly took a 46-45 lead on a basket by Davis with 1:12 left in the first half. However, Gilgeous-Alexander and Kenrich Williams hit consecutive 3-pointers just before halftime, giving Oklahoma City a 51-48 lead at the break.
