Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives past Detroit Pistons forward Paul Reed (7) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 33 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder tied the franchise record for wins in an NBA season with a 119-103 home victory over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday.
The Thunder equaled the franchise’s win total in 1995-96, when the team was based in Seattle.
Oklahoma City (64-12) stretched its winning streak to 11 and kept alive its chances to become the third team in NBA history to win 70 games in one season.
READ: NBA: Thunder thrash Bulls, set mark for nonconference wins
The Thunder finished the season 29-1 against Eastern Conference opponents, the best record in league history against the opposite conference.
Oklahoma City took the lead in the game’s opening minute and never relinquished it, though a 16-point lead entering the fourth dwindled to just four by midway through the quarter.
Detroit once again cut it to four with less than four minutes remaining before the Thunder scored the game’s last 12 points to seal the victory.
Though Gilgeous-Alexander finished with his 48th 30-plus point game of the season, he was just 10 of 26 from the floor and 2 of 7 from beyond the arc.
Gilgeous-Alexander started hot but was just 5 of 20 from the field after the first quarter.
READ: NBA: West top seed Thunder escape Clippers
Oklahoma City wound up 10 of 38 (26.3 percent) on 3-point attempts.
Jalen Williams added 23 points and Chet Holmgren had 22 points and 11 rebounds for the Thunder, who scored their last seven points off Detroit turnovers.
The Pistons were short-handed, playing without Cade Cunningham, Isaiah Stewart, Marcus Sasser and Ronald Holland II.
Cunningham missed his fifth consecutive game with a left calf injury, while the other three were serving a suspension after a fight broke out in Sunday night’s Detroit loss to Minnesota.
Tobias Harris returned after missing the last two games with right Achilles pain, but he left the game less than midway through the third quarter after experiencing more Achilles pain and did not return.
Tim Hardaway Jr. led Detroit with 23 points.
The Pistons (42-34) lost for the second consecutive game.
Oklahoma City swept the two meetings between the teams, with both wins coming during its current win streak.
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Thunder big man Isaiah Hartenstein came off the bench for just the fourth time this season, and he posted five points, eight rebounds and six assists in 23 minutes. –Field Level Media
