NBA: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 30 leads Thunder past Mavs

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 100-87 road victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.

The game marked Gilgeous-Alexander's 123rd consecutive game scoring 20 or more points, moving him within three games of tying Wilt Chamberlain's NBA record. He also set a new record for consecutive 20-plus point games on the road, with 59.

Oklahoma City has won back-to-back games and seven of its last nine, sweeping the season series against Dallas with their third win over the Mavericks this season.

The Mavericks have dropped three straight games and 13 of their last 15. Dallas was held under 100 points for the first time since Nov. 22 against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Oklahoma City took the lead for good just over three minutes into the game. While the Thunder quickly built a double-digit lead, they weren’t able to shake Dallas until late in the contest.

The Thunder struggled from beyond the arc for much of the game, shooting just 6 of 29 (20.7%) through the first three quarters. Their early 12-0 run, fueled by six points and an alley-oop assist from Gilgeous-Alexander, helped establish momentum.

Oklahoma City led by as many as 16 points in the first half, but Dallas quickly cut the deficit in half. The Thunder finally pulled away to start the fourth quarter, even with Gilgeous-Alexander on the bench.

Isaiah Joe scored eight consecutive points during a 10-2 run to open the final quarter, extending Oklahoma City’s lead to 22. Isaiah Hartenstein contributed three assists during the stretch, twice finding Joe for 3-pointers to spark the Thunder from beyond the arc.

Dallas did manage to cut the deficit to 14 with under five minutes remaining, but the Thunder held on comfortably.

Chet Holmgren added 19 points and nine rebounds, while Joe finished with 14 points off the bench. For the Mavericks, Caleb Martin led with 18 points, while Brandon Williams and Max Christie added 14 each.

Dallas’ Klay Thompson left the game late in the second quarter with a right adductor contusion and did not return.

—Field Level Media/Reuters