OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) 鈥� Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder completed a regular-season sweep of the Washington Wizards with a 127-110 win on Friday night.
Josh Giddey added 20 points, nine assists and five rebounds for Oklahoma City, which shot 51% from the field, including 45.9% (17 of 37) from 3-point range. The Thunder seized control with a dominant first quarter 鈥� outscoring the Wizards 35-17 鈥� and nine Oklahoma City players made at least one 3-pointer.
鈥淲e were good tonight 鈥� from start to finish,鈥� Gilgeous-Alexander said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e a good basketball team. They鈥檇 won four of their last six (games). We were good on both ends of the floor for a long period of time tonight.鈥�
Kyle Kuzma scored 23 points, Daniel Gafford had 15 points and nine rebounds and Kristaps Porzingis added 14 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Wizards, who were playing without their top scorer, Bradley Beal. Beal was diagnosed Thursday with a low-grade left hamstring strain and won鈥檛 be re-evaluated for at least a week.
Oklahoma City needed a last-second basket from Gilgeous-Alexander to win 121-120 at Washington on Nov. 16, but the Thunder mostly cruised in the rematch, leading by as many as 27 points. Oklahoma City committed only six turnovers while the Wizards had 20.
鈥淚n general, that first quarter, moreso first half, I don鈥檛 think we had the right mindset,鈥� Washington coach Wes Unseld Jr. said. 鈥淲e looked a little sluggish. You could argue (it was) a long trip, this, that and the other, but no excuse. We鈥檝e got to do better to start with energy and our approach. They kind of outplayed us in a lot of areas in the first half.鈥�
A 14-2 run early in the first quarter put Oklahoma City ahead 21-9 and the Thunder鈥檚 lead never fell below double digits the rest of the game. Oklahoma City scored the final eight points of the first half to take a 68-42 lead. That was the Thunder鈥檚 largest halftime lead of the season.
鈥淚 think we defended really well,鈥� Giddey said. 鈥淚t was a collective effort. We got out in transition. We ran and we made them call a bunch of timeouts. We built a lot of momentum through the first and we carried it through, for the most part, for 48 minutes.鈥�
Despite a 38-point third quarter for the Wizards, they came no closer than 18 points. That鈥檚 in good part because they also allowed the Thunder 35 points in the period.
Washington pulled within 14 points at 117-103 with 4:55 left on a basket by Gafford, but rookie Jalen Williams hit a pair of free throws and Gilgeous-Alexander followed with a basket with 3:49 left, ending the threat. Washington made 7 of 24 3-point attempts (29.2%).
QUOTABLE:
Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault, on his team鈥檚 fast start: 鈥淲e were in a nice groove offensively to start, that鈥檚 for sure. I thought we came out with great intention from a physicality standpoint. We had our chests on them early. ... We didn鈥檛 ease into it at all. 鈥� We鈥檙e a little bit smaller right now and it鈥檚 really forcing us to be super physical.鈥�
TIP-INS:
Wizards: Beal has missed 16 of Washington鈥檚 40 games this season due to various ailments. 鈥� Washington posted its lowest first-half-point total of the season with 42. 鈥� Forward Taj Gibson was available to play despite left groin soreness, but didn鈥檛 see action. 鈥� The Wizards had won four of the last five and six of the last eight games against the Thunder before Friday.
Thunder: Williams just missed a double-double with 18 points and nine rebounds. 鈥� Luguentz Dort overcame foul trouble and scored 18 points. 鈥� Washington鈥檚 17 points were the fewest first-quarter points allowed by the Thunder this season. 鈥� Dating to last season, Gilgeous-Alexander has recorded 32 30-point performances over his last 47 games played.
UP NEXT:
Wizards: Host the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday.
Thunder: Host the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.
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Murray Evans, The Associated Press
