NBA: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander heats up, Thunder dispatch Miami

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 29 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 124-112 home victory over the Miami Heat on Sunday night.

The win marked the Thunder's third consecutive victory, while the Heat suffered their third straight loss and four defeats in five games.

Gilgeous-Alexander started slowly but found his rhythm, scoring 16 points in a 39-point Oklahoma City third quarter to help the team seize control. The Thunder trailed 74-72 midway through the quarter before a 15-0 run put them ahead for good. The stretch ended with three 3-pointers: one from Gilgeous-Alexander and two from Isaiah Joe, giving Oklahoma City an 87-74 lead.

The Thunder capitalized on Miami's mistakes, scoring 39 points off 23 turnovers, including 14 in the fourth quarter to prevent a Heat comeback. During the decisive third-quarter run, Oklahoma City scored seven points off three Miami turnovers.

Coming into the game, Gilgeous-Alexander had scored at least 20 points in 109 consecutive games, the second-longest streak in NBA history. However, he struggled early, missing his first five shots and picking up two fouls in the first quarter. He began heating up seven minutes into the second quarter, finishing the night 10 of 19 from the field, with eight assists and five rebounds.

Teammate Jalen Williams added 18 points on 9-of-13 shooting, while Chet Holmgren recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Ajay Mitchell contributed 16 points off the bench.

For Miami, Andrew Wiggins led the team with 23 points, followed by Tyler Herro with 19 and Pelle Larsson with 16. The Heat were without their leading scorer, Norman Powell (23.8 points per game), who sat out with lower-back soreness on the second night of a back-to-back.

Oklahoma City's Jaylin Williams returned after missing 13 consecutive games with heel bursitis, scoring nine points in just over 14 minutes.

The Heat had a nine-point lead in the first quarter before the Thunder responded with a 14-2 run, seven of those points coming off Miami turnovers.

—Field Level Media/Reuters