Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, front, drives against Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard, back, during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
OKLAHOMA CITY — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 33 points and 11 rebounds, and the Oklahoma City Thunder pulled away from the Boston Celtics 105-92 on Sunday for their franchise-record 15th straight win.
The Thunder, who improved to 30-5, have not lost a game that counted in the standings since Dec. 1. Their loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Cup final does not count on the team’s record.
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Jayson Tatum had 26 points and 10 rebounds for the defending NBA champion Celtics. Jaylen Brown scored 21 points, but went scoreless on 0-for-7 shooting in the second half.
READ: NBA: Thunder take down Knicks for 14th straight win
SGA AND OKC’S DOMINANCE CONTINUES 👊
⛈️ 33 PTS | 11 REB | 6 AST | 3 STL | 2 BLK ⛈️
He now leads the NBA with TWENTY 30-point games this season as the @okcthunder win their 30th game and a FRANCHISE-BEST 15th in a row! 👏 pic.twitter.com/1zqZlhaG3x
— NBA (@NBA) January 5, 2025
Gilgeous-Alexander scored nine points in the first 3 1/2 minutes of the game to help the Thunder take an early lead, but Boston rallied and led 65-55 at halftime.
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The Thunder trimmed the deficit to 80-76 at the end of the third quarter and regained the lead, 81-80, on a pair of free throws by Jalen Williams early in the fourth.
The Thunder remained in control, and back-to-back 3s by Lu Dort put the Thunder up 100-88 with just under two minutes to play. Dort scored 11 points and made all three of his shots from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter.
Takeaways
Celtics: Boston remains a team that can lose at any time because of its heavy dependence on 3-pointers. The Celtics made just 9 of 46 shots from deep.
Thunder: Oklahoma City, much like it did Friday against New York, refused to cave when it fell behind by double digits. The Thunder hung around, then outscored the Celtics 29-12 in the fourth quarter.
READ: NBA: Thunder keep streak alive with comeback win over Knicks
Key moment
Gilgeous-Alexander crossed over Holiday, then hit a 3-pointer to give the Thunder a 92-85 lead midway through the fourth quarter.
Key stat
Oklahoma City held Boston to a season-low 27 points in the second half. The Celtics’ previous low was 44.
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Up Next
Celtics: At Denver on Tuesday night.
Thunder: At Cleveland on Wednesday night.
