Jalen Williams scored 23 points to help the Oklahoma City Thunder remain undefeated with a 102-86 win over the Orlando Magic on Monday in Oklahoma City.
The Thunder improved to 7-0, extending their best start since moving to Oklahoma City in 2008. Cleveland (8-0) is the only other current unbeaten team. The Thunder’s seven wins have come by an average of 17.4 points, with none closer than 12 points.
The Magic have dropped four consecutive games and five of their last six.
Oklahoma City led from wire-to-wire and Orlando never drew closer than 10 points after the first quarter. The Magic did keep the game within reach in the second half, scoring seven consecutive points to pull within 64-53 midway through the third quarter.
The Thunder soon regained control, closing the third on a 20-5 run to all but put the game away. That stretch included three consecutive 3-pointers from Isaiah Joe – all assisted by Alex Caruso – in a 1:04 span that made it 82-58 at the 1:15 mark.
Oklahoma City got off to a quick start, scoring on the game’s opening possession and steadily building its lead throughout the first.
Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t attempt a shot until nearly nine minutes into the game but still made an early impact with seven first-quarter assists, a career high for a quarter.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s first-quarter assists went to six different players, leading to four 3-pointers. Williams scored off two of Gilgeous-Alexander’s assists and had 14 points in Oklahoma City’s 39-point first quarter.
The Thunder scored just 19 points in the second quarter, but Orlando couldn’t cut into the lead, scoring just 17 points.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 21 points and nine assists while Chet Holmgren added 14 points and nine rebounds.
Franz Wagner had 22 points to lead Orlando while Jalen Suggs added 19.
The Magic shot just 35.4 percent from the floor, their second consecutive sub-40 percent shooting performance. Orlando was just 5-of-34 (14. 7 percent) from beyond the arc.
Goga Bitadze, who missed the last five games with a left foot injury, returned to the starting lineup for the Magic and paired 11 points with nine rebounds in 27 minutes of action. Wendell Carter missed the game for Orlando after suffering a plantar fascia strain in his left foot in Sunday’s loss at Dallas.
–Field Level Media