Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 45 points and nearly recorded a triple-double as the Oklahoma City Thunder came from behind to beat the Indiana Pacers 120-114 on Thursday night in Indianapolis.
Gilgeous-Alexander also grabbed seven rebounds and made eight assists for Oklahoma City, which extended its winning streak to nine games despite being down by 15 points in the first quarter. Jalen Williams added 20 points, Luguentz Dort scored 13, and Isaiah Hartenstein contributed 11 points and 13 rebounds.
The Thunder pulled ahead after a 107-107 tie, thanks to an 8-0 run with free throws from Williams and Hartenstein, giving Oklahoma City a 111-107 lead with 1:39 left to play.
Bennedict Mathurin responded with two free throws for Indiana, but Gilgeous-Alexander hit a three-pointer with 59.4 seconds remaining and then made six free throws in the final moments to seal the victory.
Andrew Nembhard scored 23 points for the Pacers, who saw their five-game winning streak end despite shooting better than the Thunder, 47.2 percent to 46.3 percent. Pascal Siakam had a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Myles Turner added 12 points and 11 rebounds. Mathurin finished with 18 points.
Oklahoma City scored 11 of the first 13 points in the third quarter to take its first lead of the game at 64-63.
Indiana quickly regained the lead and was up 72-65 with 6:52 left in the third after a three-pointer by Tyrese Haliburton. The Thunder briefly led by four in the period, but Jarace Walker hit a three-pointer with 13.2 seconds left, sending the Pacers into the fourth with an 84-83 advantage.
Siakam helped Indiana get off to a strong start with three three-pointers during a 13-2 run, giving the Pacers a 29-19 lead at the end of the first quarter. Oklahoma City struggled early, shooting just 7-for-27 in the first 12 minutes.
The Pacers extended their lead to 44-31 midway through the second quarter after Mathurin hit a three-pointer, assisted on another, and made a floater. However, Gilgeous-Alexander scored 16 points in the final 5:48 of the half, forcing Indiana to settle for a 61-53 lead at halftime.
