Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continued his red-hot form with another commanding display as the Oklahoma City Thunder extended their perfect start to the NBA season, brushing aside the Washington Wizards 127–108 on Thursday night.
The reigning MVP and Finals MVP dropped 31 points, adding seven assists and three rebounds before sitting out the final quarter, with the defending champions cruising to their sixth consecutive win.
Oklahoma City took control early, leading 59–49 at halftime and never looked back in a dominant second half.
Isaiah Joe and Ajay Mitchell provided vital contributions off the bench with 20 points apiece, while the Thunder capitalised ruthlessly on the Wizards’ errors, turning 23 turnovers into 26 points.
Despite the continued absence of injured starters Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams and the emotional setback of Nikola Topic’s cancer diagnosis, the Thunder looked sharp and cohesive. Joe, making his season debut after recovering from a bruised knee, added much-needed energy.
“He hit the ground running,” coach Mark Daigneault said. Joe returned the praise, saying: “My teammates find me when I’m open, I just had to do my job and make shots.”
Elsewhere, the Golden State Warriors suffered a 120–110 defeat to the Milwaukee Bucks despite Giannis Antetokounmpo’s absence. Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 27 points, while Jonathan Kuminga added 24, but 22 turnovers proved costly.
Ryan Rollins, facing his former team, starred for the Bucks with a career-high 32 points, sealing the win with a late step-back three-pointer. “We knew without Giannis we had to be aggressive,” Rollins said. “Everybody had that mindset.”
In San Antonio, the Spurs maintained their flawless start with a 107–101 victory over the Miami Heat, the best opening in franchise history. Victor Wembanyama was outstanding once again, producing 27 points, 18 rebounds, six assists, a steal, and five blocks in a towering performance.
Stephon Castle added 21 points, while Bam Adebayo’s 31 for Miami wasn’t enough to halt the Spurs’ surge. Devin Vassell’s clutch three-pointer with just over five minutes remaining restored San Antonio’s lead at 93–91, and they never trailed again.
The result keeps the Spurs perfect at 5–0, joining the Thunder among the early-season pace-setters in the Western Conference.
