Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 18 of their gaming high 32 points in a leading first half, Alex Caruso and Isaiah Joe helped Squash a Sacramento rally with a contribution to a fourth quarter driving and Oklahoma City Thunder won their 60th match Tuesday evening, 121-105 over the hosts.
Chet Holmgren published an 18-point, 10-Rebound double-double for Thunder (60-12), which reached 60 wins during the regular season for the fifth time in franchise history, which goes back to a previous life as Seattle Supersonics.
The loss was a fourth straight for Kings (35-37), which fell into a draw with Phoenix Suns for ninth place in the Western Conference, both only half a game up in 11th place Dallas Mavericks.
Down 64-42 at the break after Gilgeous-Alexander’s big first half and with as many as 25 early in the third period, Kings gathered, who received four 3-pointer from Keegan Murray, within eight at the end of the quarter.
But Caruso opened the fourth period with a three-point game and an inner bow, and after Joe dropped in his second 3-pointer of the quarter, the thunderstorm had extended the lead to 105-89 with only 6:59 left.
The kings, who fell to 2-4 at a seven-game home, did not come closer than 13 after that when Thunder coasted to a seventh straight victory.
Gilgeous-Alexander was one of six players in Oklahoma City with two or more 3-points, which connects to 3-for-6. Joe went 4-for-6 from deep in a 14-point performance, while Kenrich Williams was 3-for-4, LU Dort 3-for-6, Caruso 2-for-3 and Jaylin Williams 2-for-4.
As a team, Thunder 19-for-32 shot beyond the arch. They were surpassed 69-57 from the depth, but it took King’s 16 further attempts to convert four more.
Caruso finished with 15 points, Dort 13 and Williams 11 for visitors, whose Isaiah Hartenstein collected 10 returns to go with four points. Caruso and Williams shared team assistant awards with six.
Murray shot 9-for-13 on 3-points to account for everyone except one of his team high 28 points.
Domanta’s Sabonis was the play’s leading rebound with 12 and Top Assist man with eight to go with eight points, while Zach Lavine had 19 points, Keon Ellis 12, Jake Laravia 11 and Demar Derozan 10.
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