Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Oklahoma City Thunder to their fourth consecutive win with a strong 24-point, six-assist performance, defeating the Brooklyn Nets 124-108 on Sunday’s NBA action.
Josh Giddey added 20 points, six rebounds, and five assists, while Chet Holmgren showcased his potential with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks, helping the Thunder secure the second spot in the Western Conference with a 22-9 record. Gilgeous-Alexander expressed confidence in the team’s continuous improvement and hard work.
“We’ve gotten a lot better,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We’ve put in a lot of work. I expect us to get better. I’m not surprised. We’ve got to keep going and keep getting better.”
The Thunder, who have a tradition of hosting New Year’s Eve games since relocating to Oklahoma City, improved their record in these fixtures to 12-4. Conversely, the Nets have struggled on New Year’s Eve, with a record of 2-8. A crucial moment in the game was a 16-8 run by Holmgren and Jalen Williams, who scored 17 points, extending Oklahoma City’s lead significantly. Brooklyn couldn’t narrow the gap beyond 12 points for the game.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder, Brooklyn Nets Updates
Holmgren credited the team’s increased energy and better defensive rotations for their success in making shots difficult for Brooklyn. Despite Mikal Bridges scoring 22 points and Cam Thomas adding 20 for the Nets, Brooklyn’s three-game losing streak continued. The Nets have found it challenging when opponents score 120 points or more, with a 1-16 record in such scenarios this season.
“I think we picked up our energy,” Holmgren said. “Early in the game, they were making shots from the outside. Some of that was them coming out ready to play, and some of that was us just being a little late on rotations and close-outs. Once we picked that up, we really made shots tough on them and we started to get some stops.”
Oklahoma City shot efficiently, with a 54.2% field goal percentage, while Brooklyn struggled at 38%. The Nets’ 26.1% success rate from beyond the arc was insufficient to compensate for the low turnover count.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder, Brooklyn Nets Updates
Nets coach Jacque Vaughn recognized the team’s good practices, including sharing the ball and minimizing turnovers, but lamented the missed opportunities and shots. The Nets started strong, leading by 10 points in the first quarter, but Oklahoma City took over by halftime with a 59-56 lead.
“You look at the stat sheet and we did some really good things tonight,” Vaughn said. “They had 20 corner (3-point attempts) and made two of them. We missed some free throws. We shoot 40 3s, pretty good. We shared the basketball and didn’t turn it over. How many more shots did we have? Seventeen more shots. Pretty good recipe for us.
“A lot of our shots were open tonight. We sprayed that thing around and we were really unselfish and getting each other good shots tonight. … It was just one of those nights the ball didn’t go in for you.”
Giddey’s performance in the third quarter sparked an 11-2 run for the Thunder. Holmgren’s three-pointer at the end of the quarter marked the beginning of Oklahoma City’s decisive run to secure the win.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder, Brooklyn Nets Updates
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault described the game as one of shooting variance, acknowledging the nights when shots simply don’t fall for one team.
“Tonight it was a variance night,” Daigneault said. “There are nights when the other team makes shots, and you don’t, and tonight was the night we made shots, and they didn’t. They shot a lot of 3s. I thought we contested a lot of them. I thought we did make them uncomfortable. … But it’s hard to explain that boxscore other than shooting variance on this night.”
Looking ahead, the Nets will face the New Orleans Pelicans, while the Thunder host the Boston Celtics, both games scheduled for Tuesday.
