NBA: Thunder continue their offensive streak with victory over Mavericks - Thelocalreport.in

FILE – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder reacts during the second half of the game against the Charlotte Hornets at the Spectrum Center on December 29, 2022 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images/AFP

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 33 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 120-109 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.

The Mavericks were without Luka Doncic, who missed the game with a sore left ankle one night after recording a triple-double. Dallas is now 0-4 this season without Doncic in the lineup.

The Thunder have won three of their last four, averaging 128 points per game, while the Mavericks have lost two of their last three.

It took Gilgeous-Alexander some time to get going Sunday, but he scored 10 points in the first quarter and then exploded with 17 more in the third to help Oklahoma City pull away.

Another Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 30 piece tonight:

33 points
5 REB
5 AST
W

⛈️⛈️⛈️ pic.twitter.com/Y343DvV5fV

—NBA (@NBA) January 9, 2023

The Thunder led by as many as 16 points early, but the Mavericks cut the lead to just six at the 9:41 mark of the fourth quarter when Frank Ntilikina hit a jumper.

But the Thunder responded with a 19-7 run that included a pair of 3-pointers by Josh Giddey assisted by Gilgeous-Alexander.

Gilgeous-Alexander was 11 of 17 from the field with five rebounds and five assists. Giddey was 2-for-4 from beyond the arc and is shooting 45.9 percent from deep in his last 12 games.

Luguentz Dort added 18 points for the Thunder.

Christian Wood led the Mavericks with 27 points, shooting 8-of-13 from the floor. Spencer Dinwiddie added 21 points.

After shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc in the first half, the Mavericks were just 4-of-19 from distance in the second.

The Mavericks led by double digits in less than five minutes of play, jumping 18-7 with the help of five 3-pointers.

Oklahoma City closed the first quarter on a 13-3 run to cut its deficit to one.

The Thunder then took control in the second on a 20-2 run that gave them a 66-50 lead. Dort and Eugene Omoruyi combined to score 11 of the last 13 points of the wave.