CLEVELAND, Ohio — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander carried a short-handed Oklahoma City Thunder team to a 117-112 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night, pouring in 43 points, his best of the season, and burying the 3-pointer that put his team ahead for good with 32.6 seconds to play.
The win snapped a two-game road skid for the Thunder, who had lost both of those games by more than 20 points. Oklahoma City has been playing without three starters who are out with long-term injuries, and the team’s injury list includes Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams and Alex Caruso. The Thunder are now 5-2, fifth in the Western Conference, while Cleveland fell to 4-3.
He got there on volume. His 35 field-goal tries were the league’s high for a single game so far this season, and 14 of them went in. He was nearly perfect at the line, going 11 for 12 in 38 minutes, and his four 3-pointers included the late go-ahead shot.
The fourth quarter was a back-and-forth fight with eight ties and eight lead changes. After his go-ahead shot, Cleveland missed from the corner on its next trip, and Ajay Mitchell put the Thunder up by two possessions by making two free throws with 15.4 seconds left. Mitchell finished with 20 points, and Isaiah Hartenstein grabbed 14 rebounds.
Oklahoma City built a 59-48 halftime lead with a 16-6 run over the final five minutes of the second quarter and stretched it to 69-55 in the third. The Cavaliers fought back by making 9 of 17 attempts from deep in that period and opened the fourth with an 18-9 run.
Donovan Mitchell had 17 points and 11 assists for Cleveland, which lost at home for the first time in four games this season. Cleveland gets a quick shot at payback, since the rematch is set for Wednesday night at the Thunder’s home arena in Oklahoma City.
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