OKC Thunder Cruise to 16-Point Win Over Bucks, Sweep Three-Game Trip

Isaiah Hartenstein scored a career-high 24 points on 11-for-15 shooting.

Mar 16, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) dunks the ball in the second quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images / Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

The Oklahoma City Thunder swept its three-game road trip by beating the Milwaukee Bucks 121-105 on Sunday night. The Thunder improved to 27-7 on the road and 26-8 against teams at or above .500.

Isaiah Hartenstein scored a career-high 24 points on 11-for-15 shooting. He added 12 rebounds (two offensive), three assists and helped hold Bucks All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo to his fourth game below 50% shooting all season.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recorded 31 points on 11-for-27 shooting, eight assists, a rebound and a block. Chet Holmgren finished with 16 points on nine shots, eight rebounds and three assists.

Isaiah Joe and Alex Caruso each reached double-digits while combining for nine rebounds and seven assists off Oklahoma City's bench. Joe drained five 3-pointers and Caruso made multiple and-one layups.

Statistic	Thunder	Bucks
Points	121	105
2-Pointers	36-for-60	20-for-49
3-Pointers	10-for-29	13-for-34
Free Throws	19-for-25	26-for-33
Turnovers	9	9
Offensive Rebounds	8	9

The Thunder started Gilgeous-Alexander, Holmgren, Hartenstein, Cason Wallace and Kenrich Williams.

The Bucks started Damian Lillard, Taurean Prince, Kyle Kuzma, Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez.

Holmgren converted a right-wing 3-pointer and 12-foot floater on Oklahoma City's first two possessions before finding Hartenstein on a pick-and-roll layup. Antetokounmpo then made an early mark for Milwaukee — he bottomed a tough fadeaway over Holmgren, picked up two assists and drew transition free throws in two minutes. Both teams made six of their first nine field goals.

Gilgeous-Alexander dished out two assists to Hartenstein, including an alley-oop lob, and Joe knocked down a moving 3-pointer as the Thunder went on a 9-1 run from 5:08 to 3:18. However, Oklahoma City did not score for the rest of the quarter. Gary Trent Jr. swished back-to-back jumpers and Lillard nailed a long triple to ensure the Bucks held a 26-24 lead after the opening frame. Milwaukee did not commit a turnover in the first 12 minutes.

The Thunder scored on its first five second-quarter possessions. Hartenstein made two interior finishes, including a wide-open dunk from Holmgren, and assisted Joe on two jumpers. Holmgren nailed a mid-range look off a Hartenstein pindown screen to force a Bucks timeout five minutes into the quarter. Oklahoma City outscored Milwaukee by eight points before Gilgeous-Alexander checked back in.

Antetokounmpo threw down a powerful reverse dunk over Holmgren with 4:42 left before halftime — the Bucks' final first-half score. Milwaukee shot 0-for-6 and committed two turnovers on its last eight second-quarter possessions. Gilgeous-Alexander racked up eight points in three minutes to help increase the Thunder's lead to 53-41 at the half. He made five of seven 2-pointers but missed all four 3-point attempts in the first two quarters.

Oklahoma City executed a scoring flurry with a Hartenstein floater, Holmgren layup and Gilgeous-Alexander jumper. Wallace then swished a wide-open corner three from a baseline Kenrich Williams pass, extending the Thunder's lead to 19 points two minutes into the third quarter. Both teams scored on six straight trips from 7:25 to 6:18, including two Gilgeous-Alexander step-back jumpers and two Prince field goals.

Hartenstein reached 20 points with his fourth floater and dimed Caruso for a cutting layup before heading to the bench with three minutes left in the quarter. Aaron Wiggins scored his first seven points in a 76-second stretch and Gilgeous-Alexander closed the frame with a contested fadeaway and two free throws. Oklahoma City led 92-74 with a quarter to go.

At the start of the fourth quarter, Joe drilled his fifth 3-pointer and Holmgren rebounded Joe's miss for a putback dunk on consecutive possessions — which built the Thunder's lead to 25 points.

Oklahoma City returns home to play the Philadelphia 76ers this Wednesday, March 19 at 7 p.m. CST.

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