Exterior of Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, home of the Oklahoma City Thunder, viewed from the southwest on a clear day
Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. Photo by Steve Morgan, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Gilgeous-Alexander Scores 30 as Thunder Crush Wizards 114-75

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Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, home of the Thunder
Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, home of the Thunder. Photo: Steve Morgan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder crushed the Washington Wizards 114-75 at the Paycom Center on Saturday night, winning their fourth straight game.

Gilgeous-Alexander was the star of a dominant Thunder performance, according to Field Level Media and CraftedNBA, with Jared McCain scoring 19 off the bench and Isaiah Hartenstein grabbing 14 rebounds. Rookie Aday Mara scored a season-high 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting in only his second start.

Washington’s 75 points were their fewest since the 2017-18 season, and the 39-point margin was one of the biggest of the night across the league.

Thunder’s depth on show

Oklahoma City’s win was built on balance as much as stardom. Gilgeous-Alexander’s 30 points led the way, but McCain’s 19 off the bench and Mara’s 18 in his second start underlined the depth of a Thunder side who look like one of the most complete teams in the West. Hartenstein’s 14 rebounds gave Oklahoma City control of the glass, and the Thunder’s defence held Washington to their lowest total in nearly a decade.

The Thunder shared the scoring, moved the ball crisply and defended with discipline, holding Washington to 75 points — a total that tells its own story about the gap between the sides.

Wizards’ misery continues

Washington’s problems run deep. Rookie AJ Dybantsa led the Wizards with 19 points, but Trae Young managed just four points on 1-of-6 shooting, and the visitors never looked like competing with a Thunder side who were in control from the opening tip. Washington have now lost twice in two nights, having been beaten 139-132 by Atlanta on Friday, and their defence has conceded 139 and 114 points across those two games.

The Wizards, who were beaten 139-132 by Atlanta on Friday night, now face a quick turnaround before their next game. They need to find answers on both ends of the floor — and quickly.

What comes next

Oklahoma City’s fourth straight win keeps them firmly in the early-season mix in the West, and their depth suggests they can sustain it. Washington, meanwhile, must regroup before the losing run becomes a season-defining slump — and a young roster still learning how to compete against the league’s best sides has a lot to work on.

Related coverage: Thunder Crush Grizzlies 128-97 as Mitchell Scores 35 | Curry Drops 41 as Warriors Edge Magic 126-119 in Overtime

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