OKLAHOMA CITY – For a while, the night felt slightly off. Layups rimmed out from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The pace lagged. The Thunder moved like a team shaking the stiffness from its legs, still carrying the residue of a rare loss and a few days of rest.
The Clippers took advantage early, playing free and loose, and for the opening stretch, Oklahoma City followed rather than led.
Then the game found its balance with the group that started the second quarter.
As it so often does, the shift began quietly. A stop here, a deflection there, until the noise inside Paycom Center rose with every stolen pass and every open floor opportunity. What started as a slow burn turned into a familiar blaze, and by the end of the night, the Thunder were once again standing tall, pulling away for a 122-101 win that felt both inevitable and earned.
At the center of it all was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, moving at his own deliberate tempo, bending the game to his will. He scored 32 points in just 29 minutes, never rushed, never loud, but always in control.
When he checked out for good before the fourth quarter, the work was already done with him not playing the final frame for the 14th time this season. Another night, another chapter for him with his 98th straight game with at least 20 points, a streak that continues to feel less like a record and more like routine.
While Shai conducted, Chet Holmgren provided the lift. Setting the tone early, he found his spots, stretching the floor and finishing with confidence inside. 18 of his 22 points came before halftime, the kind of timely surge that steadied the Thunder and sent them into the break with a 64-55 lead.
Jalen Williams followed suit, smooth and strong, scoring 20 points and gliding between scorer and playmaker as the game demanded.
But this was never just about shot making. The Thunder’s true poetry came on defense. As it always does.
Passing lanes disappeared. Dribbles were swallowed. The Clippers, playing without their primary organizer in James Harden, unraveled under constant pressure, committing 28 turnovers that Oklahoma City turned into 39 points.
Cason Wallace, who didn’t shoot well from the floor, hunted the ball relentlessly, collecting five steals for a league leading third time this season, while Alex Caruso brought his usual chaos in short bursts, blowing up possessions and flipping momentum with effort alone.
The third quarter was the crescendo. Gilgeous-Alexander erupted for 19 points, the Thunder surged, and what had once been a competitive contest unraveled into separation. Oklahoma City outscored Los Angeles 39-28 in the period, stretching the lead beyond reach and draining any remaining suspense from the night.
Even as the stars rested in the fourth, the rhythm never faded. Isaiah Joe rained in four threes after missing the last four games and looking like he hasn’t missed a beat. Ajay Mitchell attacked space and finished with 16 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. Every lineup, every minute, carried the same message: pressure, patience, togetherness.
By the final horn, the slow start was a distant memory. The Thunder had moved to 25-2, still perfect at home, still defined by defense, and still powered by a superstar who turns control into art. Some nights begin in silence, but this one ended in harmony.
