Shai Gilgeous-Alexander returns with 38 as Thunder beat Jazz

OKLAHOMA CITY(AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 38 points and seven rebounds inhis return from a five-game absence and the Oklahoma City Thunderled all the way while beating the Utah Jazz 129-119 on Sundaynight.

Rookie JalenWilliams added a career-high 32 points on 12-of-15 shooting andJosh Giddey just missed a triple-double with 24 points, ninerebounds and nine assists for Oklahoma City, which beat the Jazzfor the second time in three days. The Thunder also won in blowoutfashion on Friday, 130-103.

Utah trailedby double digits for the final 42 minutes of Sunday’s game. JordanClarkson led Utah with 18 points but missed all five of his 3-pointattempts. The Jazz played without All-Star Lauri Markkanen, who satout with what the team said was a low-back strain.

“I justthought our guys started the game really well,” Oklahoma City coachMark Daigneault said. “We were in our spots and making them earneverything. We made some shots early (and) they missed some, but weforced them to go to jump shots early.”

Utah madeonly two of its first 17 field-goal attempts and missed its firstnine 3-point shots, allowing Oklahoma City to sprint to a 28-10lead with 2:44 left in the first quarter. Gilgeous-Alexander scored13 of his points on 5-of-7 shooting during the quarter.

“All year,we’ve been talking about coming out fast,” Williams said. “Ithought we did a good job of that. Obviously, with Shai comingback, we were all playing in our normal spots, too, so there was alot more comfortable feel.”

The Thunderled by as many as 24 points in the second quarter and was ahead70-51 at halftime. An 11-0 run by Utah pulled the Jazz within 88-78with 4:09 left in the third quarter, but Isaiah Joe made a3-pointer as the shot clock expired for Oklahoma City andGilgeous-Alexander followed with two free throws.

The Thunderled 101-84 entering the fourth quarter and Utah came no closer thanthe final margin.

“I think ingeneral, we played three quarters of pretty good basketball,” Utahcoach Will Hardy said. “We just put ourselves in a big hole tostart the game.

“It took ustoo long as a team to find a rhythm.”

TIP-INS

Jazz: Inaddition to being without Markkanen, Utah also was missing CollinSexton, who has a strained left hamstring … Kris Dunn, who signed asecond 10-day contract with the Jazz on Saturday, played 27 minutesand scored a career-high 17 points … Center Walker Kessler also had17 points (on 8-of-11 shooting) and added 10 rebounds.

Thunder: Aspart of a celebration of local Latin American and Hispaniccommunities, pregame player introductions for Oklahoma City weredone in Spanish by the Thunder’s Spanish broadcaster, Eleno Ornela… Rookie Ousmane Dieng scored 12 points and was the only OklahomaCity player to score in double figures besides Gilgeous-Alexander,Williams and Giddey … Gilgeous-Alexander went 17 of 19 from thefree-throw line, with the 19 attempts tying his career high.

SGALIMITED

Daigneaultsaid Gilgeous-Alexander’s left hip flexor strain – which resultedin Gilgeous-Alexander missing two games before he missed three moredue to health and safety protocols – might result in reducedplaying time for the star guard, as the team looks to keep him asavailable as possible for the rest of the season.

That couldinclude sitting Gilgeous-Alexander for the second game ofback-to-backs and changing the usual substitution patterns toreduce his overall minutes, Daigneault said. Gilgeous-Alexanderentered Sunday’s game averaging 31.0 points per game. He played 36minutes and acknowledged after the game being a little winded attimes.

UPNEXT

Jazz: Willcontinue a six-game road swing on Tuesday at Dallas.

Thunder: Willhost Golden State on Tuesday to wrap up a six-game homestand.