Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) gestures to an Oklahoma City team photographer during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the San Antonio Spurs, Sunday, March 2, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
Jalen Williams poured in a career-high 41 points to go with seven assists and six rebounds as the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder dominated the second half in beating the San Antonio Spurs 146-132 on Sunday.
The Thunder trailed by as many as nine points late in the second quarter and by five at halftime before outscoring San Antonio 36-23 in the third period.
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Oklahoma City padded its cushion to 22 points while cruising to its third straight win and fifth in its past six games.
READ: NBA: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, triple-happy Thunder defeat Hawks
JALEN WILLIAMS’ BRILLIANCE ON FULL DISPLAY!
⛈️ 41 PTS (career high)
⛈️ 7 AST
⛈️ 6 REB
⛈️ 4 3PM
⛈️ 62.5 FG%The West-leading @okcthunder are 12-2 in their last 14 games. pic.twitter.com/iGw3qdeVjL
— NBA (@NBA) March 3, 2025
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 31 points and eight assists for Oklahoma City. Cason Wallace had 19 points, Aaron Wiggins 17 and Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein 10 each. Hartenstein also took a game-high 11 rebounds.
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Stephon Castle led the Spurs with 32 points on 12-of-21 shooting off the bench. De’Aaron Fox added 20 points followed by Jeremy Sochan (17), Devin Vassell (15) and Harrison Barnes (14).
San Antonio, which was playing the second contest of a road-home back to back, has lost five of its past six games.
READ: NBA: Thunder escape 18-point deficit, race past Nets
The Thunder led by as many as eight points in the opening quarter before San Antonio rallied to within a point on Castle’s 3-pointer with 12.9 seconds remaining. Williams finished the period with a dunk to put Oklahoma City ahead 41-38.
The second period featured six ties and five lead changes. Vassell’s trey put the Spurs ahead 75-66 with 44.6 seconds left.
Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander poured in 22 points each to lead all scorers in the half.
Castle had 18 at the break for the Spurs while Barnes had 11 and Sochan scored 10. San Antonio shot 61.7 percent from the floor and made 16 of its 25 treys before halftime.
A melee erupted with three minutes left in the third quarter and the Thunder ahead 100-96. The Spurs’ Julian Champagnie and the Thunder’s Kenrich Williams squared off after a shoving match near midcourt. Both players were ejected. The Thunder’s Luguentz Dort was also kicked out for participating.
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