NBA: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander nets 40 as Thunder edge Magic

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 40 points to guide the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder to a 113-105 victory over the Orlando Magic on Tuesday. With the win, the Thunder secured their ninth consecutive playoff berth, becoming the first team this season to reach the milestone.

Chet Holmgren contributed 20 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, while Ajay Mitchell added 16 points, the only other Thunder player in double figures.

All five starters for Orlando finished in double digits, led by Paolo Banchero with 32 points and 10 rebounds. Desmond Bane chipped in 17 points, but the Magic fell to their second straight loss after a seven-game winning streak.

After a slow start offensively, going just 4 of 12 from the field in the first half, Gilgeous-Alexander exploded in the third quarter. The reigning NBA Most Valuable Player scored 19 of Oklahoma City’s 34 points, marking his biggest scoring quarter of the season.

The Magic held a 77-70 lead with less than five minutes remaining in the third, but the Thunder went on a 15-2 run to close the quarter and reclaim the lead. Gilgeous-Alexander scored seven points during the run, while Orlando made just one of its last 10 shots of the period.

Orlando, playing the second night of a back-to-back, fought back early in the fourth, going on a 9-0 run. Bane’s three-pointer with 8:21 left gave the Magic a 91-90 advantage.

Oklahoma City responded immediately out of a timeout, sparking an 8-0 run that included five quick points from Mitchell and a three-pointer by Isaiah Joe, putting the Thunder ahead 97-90.

The Magic stayed within striking distance, trailing by only three with under 3:30 remaining, before Gilgeous-Alexander’s late burst sealed the game. After a scoreless stretch, he tallied seven quick points, including a key sequence where Alex Caruso added a layup off his own steal, giving the Thunder a 10-point cushion.

Gilgeous-Alexander finished with a season-low two assists but matched his season high with four steals. In a quirky moment in the second quarter, Caruso, having lost his shoe on defense, managed to block Tristan da Silva’s shot with his hand—and his shoe—earning a technical foul after the basket was awarded.

—Field Level Media/Reuters