Gilgeous-Alexander Puts on All-Star Performance in OKC Loss
Oklahoma City was defeated 126-122 at TD Garden by the Boston Celtics on Monday night, ending the Thunder's two-game win streak. Despite the loss, OKC's offense put on a show for the third consecutive contest, with all five starters scoring in double figures.
Unsurprisingly, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way for the Thunder with another All-NBA level performance. The 6-foot-6 guard tallied a whopping 37 points, eight assists, four rebounds, two steals and one block.
The Kentucky product shot efficiently once again, going 13-of-26 from the field, 2-of-4 from beyond the arc and 9-of-9 at the free throw line.
SGA continued to be virtually unstoppable in the paint, consistently beating his defender at the perimeter and finishing at the rim. Late in the game, he did all that he could to keep the Thunder in contention, scoring multiple times from midrange, around the basket and at the charity stripe.
Forward Aleksej Pokusevski also had an impressive performance on Monday night, totaling 16 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, three blocks and one steal. One of these blocks came early in the third quarter at the basket while the Celtics were running in transition, when Pokusevski swatted all-star forward Jayson Tatum's layup attempt just before it crossed the rim.
Later in the quarter, Poku blocked Al Horford, knocked down a jumper, then connected on a 3-pointer just a few possessions later to help extend OKC's lead.
The 20-year-old Serbian landed on a defender's foot when coming down for a rebound in the second half however, injuring his ankle. After the injury, Pokusevski struggled to produce at the same level.
Defensive standout Lu Dort showed his offensive value on Monday night, sinking three triples en route to 21 points and five rebounds. In addition to going 4-of-5 from the free throw line, Dort took the ball to the rim throughout the contest, using his signature wrap-around reverse layup to help keep the Thunder in the game in the second half.
Rookie wing Jalen Williams earned his third career start against Boston, pitching in 14 points, six rebounds, two assists and one block while shooting 6-for-9 from the field. Williams looked comfortable with the ball in his hands against the reigning Eastern Conference champions, scoring OKC's first three buckets.
While he didn't finish with a high assist total, Williams showed promise as a playmaker. Late in the third quarter, the 6-foot-5 wing dribbled by his defender at the perimeter and moved into the paint before hitting Dort, who was cutting to the basket on the baseline, for a sweet assist.
The Santa Clara alum only had one turnover in his 36 minutes on the floor.
Oklahoma City returns to action on Wednesday, November 16, taking on the Washington Wizards on the road at 6 P.M.
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