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Shai Gilgeous Alexander Record: The Oklahoma City Thunder welcomed the Boston Celtics on Thursday night in a highly anticipated clash between two of the NBA’s top-performing teams.
Both clubs entered the contest dealing with notable injury setbacks.
Oklahoma City was without key starters Jalen Williams and Isaiah Hartenstein, leaving gaps in the Thunder’s usual lineup. Boston faced similar challenges.
The Celtics played without two of their leading contributors, Jayson Tatum and Derrick White, as injuries forced the team to adjust its rotation.
With Jalen Williams unavailable, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander took control of the offense for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The All-Star guard delivered an outstanding performance. He scored 35 points and also contributed nine assists and six rebounds.
Gilgeous-Alexander added three blocks and two steals during a strong all-around effort. Offensive help was limited for Oklahoma City.
Chet Holmgren and Ajay Mitchell were the only other Thunder players to finish with double-digit scoring. The two combined to score 29 points.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s scoring display also placed him in the NBA record books.
The 35-point game extended his run of consecutive games with at least 20 points to 128.
That mark moved him past the long-standing record set by Wilt Chamberlain.
Chamberlain had previously held the streak with 127 straight games of 20 points or more, a record that had stood since 1963.
Following the game, Mark Daigneault praised the impact of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his steady presence for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Daigneault pointed to the guard’s composure and confidence as key traits behind his continued success.
“He’s the coolest guy in the room,” Daigneault said. “I’ve said that before. He has great poise.
Everything that happens for him feels like something he expected, including the rise he’s had as a player. I can’t say enough about him.”
The victory pushed Oklahoma City’s winning streak to seven games. It also kept the Thunder firmly in the race for the Western Conference’s top seed.
The result maintained pressure on the San Antonio Spurs in the battle for the No. 1 spot.
The San Antonio Spurs fell to the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night, a result that further strengthened the position of the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference standings.
With the Spurs dropping that game, Oklahoma City’s advantage at the top of the conference grew to three and a half games over the nearest challenger.
The Thunder will now get a short break in their schedule. The team is off on both Friday and Saturday.
Oklahoma City will return to the court Sunday afternoon when it hosts the Minnesota Timberwolves.
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