Gilgeous-Alexander scores 32 points to lead Thunder past Rockets 111-96 and into NBA Cup Final
LAS VEGAS (AP) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 20 of his 32 points in the second half, and the Oklahoma City Thunder pulled away late Saturday night to defeat the Houston Rockets 111-96 and advance to the NBA Cup championship.
The Thunder take a five-game winning streak into Tuesday night's final against the Bucks. Milwaukee defeated the Atlanta Hawks 110-102 in the Eastern Conference semifinal. The title game does not count in the league standings.
Isaiah Hartenstein added 21 points for the Thunder, Jalen Williams scored 20 and Luguentz Dort finished with 19 points and nine rebounds.
Amen Thompson led Houston with 19 points, one of six Rockets in double figures, and Alperen Sengun had 13 points and 11 rebounds.
The Rockets and Thunder have two of the three best records in the Western Conference, making Saturday's second semifinal a potential playoff preview.
Rockets: Fred VanVleet's 3-point shooting woes continued. He made 6 of 29 in his previous three games and missed his first nine shots from 3 and finished 1 of 11 against OKC.
Thunder: Gilgeous-Alexander entered this game averaging 30.2 points and shooting 51.5% but struggled to find his offensive game early. He found a way to get to the free throw line, making 14 of 15 to help surpass his season average.
Oklahoma City went on a 13-3 run to go ahead 97-82 with 4:57 left and break open what was a close game.
The Thunder scored 70 points in the second half. That second-half surge enabled Oklahoma City to turn a 42-41 halftime deficit into a fairly easy victory.
The Thunder will play Milwaukee in Tuesday’s championship game before returning to regular season play on Thursday at Orlando. The Rockets also return to regular season play on Thursday against New Orleans.
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| Time | Team | Play | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 |  | Alperen Sengun vs. Isaiah Hartenstein (Jabari Smith Jr. gains possession) | ||
| 11:38 |  | Dillon Brooks misses two point fadeaway jump shot | ||
| 11:35 | | Cason Wallace defensive rebound | ||
| 11:28 | | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander misses two point driving layup | ||
| 11:28 | | Rockets defensive rebound | ||
| 11:28 | | Isaiah Hartenstein personal foul (Loose ball) (Alperen Sengun draws the foul) | ||
| 11:13 | | Dillon Brooks misses three point jump shot | ||
| 11:10 | | Luguentz Dort defensive rebound | ||
| 10:56 | | Cason Wallace misses three point pullup jump shot | ||
| 10:53 | | Alperen Sengun defensive rebound | ||
| 10:45 | | Jalen Green misses three point jump shot | ||
| 10:41 | | Alperen Sengun offensive rebound | ||
| 10:37 | | +2 | Alperen Sengun makes two point fadeaway jump shot | 2-0 |
| 10:14 | | Jalen Williams misses two point floating jump shot | ||
| 10:13 | | Fred VanVleet defensive rebound | ||
| 10:07 | | +3 | Dillon Brooks makes three point running jump shot (Jabari Smith Jr. assists) | 5-0 |
| 9:53 | | Jalen Williams misses two point driving layup | ||
| 9:52 | | Alperen Sengun defensive rebound | ||
| 9:45 | | Fred VanVleet misses three point pullup jump shot | ||
| 9:41 | | Isaiah Hartenstein defensive rebound | ||
| 9:29 | | Luguentz Dort misses three point jump shot | ||
| 9:27 | | Fred VanVleet defensive rebound | ||
| 9:22 | | Jalen Green turnover (lost ball) (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander steals) | ||
| 9:19 | | Fred VanVleet personal foul (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander draws the foul) | ||
| 9:11 | | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander turnover (out of bounds bad pass) | ||
| 8:54 | | Alperen Sengun misses two point driving floating jump shot | ||
| 8:52 | | Jabari Smith Jr. offensive rebound | ||
| 8:50 | | Jabari Smith Jr. misses two point putback layup | ||
| 8:49 | | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander defensive rebound | ||
| 8:43 | | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander misses two point driving reverse layup | ||
| 8:41 | | Cason Wallace offensive rebound | ||
| 8:38 | | +3 | Luguentz Dort makes three point jump shot (Jalen Williams assists) | 5-3 |
| 8:22 | | Alperen Sengun misses two point floating jump shot | ||
| 8:19 | | Fred VanVleet offensive rebound | ||
| 8:11 | | Alperen Sengun turnover (bad pass) (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander steals) | ||
| 8:06 | | Luguentz Dort misses three point running jump shot | ||
| 8:02 | | Jalen Green defensive rebound | ||
| 7:48 | | Jabari Smith Jr. turnover (bad pass) (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander steals) | ||
| 7:45 | | Jabari Smith Jr. shooting foul (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander draws the foul) | ||
| 7:45 | | +1 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 5-4 |
| 7:45 | | +1 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 5-5 |
| 7:30 | | Alperen Sengun turnover (bad pass) (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander steals) | ||
| 7:21 | | Isaiah Hartenstein turnover (bad pass) (Alperen Sengun steals) | ||
| 7:17 | | Cason Wallace shooting foul (Fred VanVleet draws the foul) | ||
| 7:17 | | +1 | Fred VanVleet makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 6-5 |
| 7:17 | | Thunder 60 second timeout | ||
| 7:17 | | Fred VanVleet misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | ||
| 7:15 | | Cason Wallace defensive rebound | ||
| 7:05 | | +2 | Isaiah Hartenstein makes two point driving floating jump shot (Jalen Williams assists) | 6-7 |
| 6:51 | | Alperen Sengun turnover (lost ball) (Luguentz Dort steals) | ||
| 6:48 | | Cason Wallace turnover (lost ball) (Alperen Sengun steals) | ||
| 6:37 | | Alperen Sengun misses two point cutting layup | ||
| 6:35 | | Luguentz Dort defensive rebound | ||
| 6:28 | | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander misses two point driving floating jump shot | ||
| 6:24 | | Jabari Smith Jr. defensive rebound | ||
| 6:06 | | Fred VanVleet misses three point pullup jump shot | ||
| 6:05 | | Jabari Smith Jr. offensive rebound | ||
| 6:05 | | Jalen Williams shooting foul (Jabari Smith Jr. draws the foul) | ||
| 6:05 | | +1 | Jabari Smith Jr. makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 7-7 |
| 6:05 | | +1 | Jabari Smith Jr. makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 8-7 |
| 5:45 | | Jalen Williams misses three point jump shot | ||
| 5:43 | | Steven Adams defensive rebound | ||
| 5:43 | | Luguentz Dort personal foul (Steven Adams draws the foul) | ||
| 5:31 | | +2 | Fred VanVleet makes two point driving layup | 10-7 |
| 5:22 | | +2 | Jalen Williams makes two point pullup jump shot | 10-9 |
| 5:12 | | Fred VanVleet misses two point driving layup | ||
| 5:09 | | Steven Adams offensive rebound | ||
| 5:09 | | +2 | Steven Adams makes two point tip layup | 12-9 |
| 4:56 | | Kenrich Williams misses three point jump shot | ||
| 4:53 | | Steven Adams defensive rebound | ||
| 4:44 | | Amen Thompson misses two point pullup jump shot | ||
| 4:40 | | Jalen Williams defensive rebound | ||
| 4:28 | | Jalen Williams misses three point jump shot | ||
| 4:25 | | Fred VanVleet defensive rebound | ||
| 4:19 | | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shooting foul (Steven Adams draws the foul) | ||
| 4:19 | | +1 | Steven Adams makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 13-9 |
| 4:19 | | Steven Adams misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | ||
| 4:17 | | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander defensive rebound | ||
| 4:07 | | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander misses three point stepback jump shot | ||
| 4:02 | | Steven Adams defensive rebound | ||
| 3:53 | | +2 | Amen Thompson makes two point alley-oop dunk (Fred VanVleet assists) | 15-9 |
| 3:42 | | Alex Caruso misses three point jump shot | ||
| 3:37 | | Amen Thompson defensive rebound | ||
| 3:32 | | Amen Thompson misses two point reverse layup | ||
| 3:31 | | Steven Adams offensive rebound | ||
| 3:30 | | Steven Adams misses two point tip layup | ||
| 3:29 | | Steven Adams offensive rebound | ||
| 3:28 | | Steven Adams turnover (lost ball) (Isaiah Joe steals) | ||
| 3:23 | | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander misses three point running pullup jump shot | ||
| 3:22 | | Amen Thompson defensive rebound | ||
| 3:22 | | Kenrich Williams personal foul (Amen Thompson draws the foul) | ||
| 3:22 | | +1 | Amen Thompson makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 16-9 |
| 3:22 | | Amen Thompson misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | ||
| 3:19 | | Amen Thompson offensive rebound | ||
| 3:18 | | Fred VanVleet misses three point jump shot | ||
| 3:16 | | Thunder defensive rebound | ||
| 3:16 | | Dillon Brooks personal foul (Loose ball) (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander draws the foul) | ||
| 2:58 | | +2 | Kenrich Williams makes two point pullup jump shot | 16-11 |
| 2:41 | | Tari Eason misses two point fadeaway jump shot | ||
| 2:38 | | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander defensive rebound | ||
| 2:30 | | +2 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander makes two point driving reverse layup | 16-13 |
| 2:05 | | Amen Thompson misses three point jump shot | ||
| 2:05 | | Rockets offensive rebound | ||
| 2:05 | | Kenrich Williams personal foul (Loose ball) (Steven Adams draws the foul) | ||
| 2:05 | | Rockets 60 second timeout | ||
| 2:05 | | Steven Adams misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | ||
| 2:05 | | Rockets offensive rebound | ||
| 2:05 | | +1 | Steven Adams makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 17-13 |
| 1:48 | | +2 | Kenrich Williams makes two point driving layup | 17-15 |
| 1:33 | | +3 | Tari Eason makes three point jump shot (Amen Thompson assists) | 20-15 |
| 1:22 | | +3 | Kenrich Williams makes three point jump shot (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander assists) | 20-18 |
| 0:58 | | Tari Eason misses three point jump shot | ||
| 0:55 | | Thunder defensive rebound | ||
| 0:34 | | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander misses three point stepback jump shot | ||
| 0:30 | | Thunder offensive rebound | ||
| 0:25 | | Alperen Sengun personal foul (Isaiah Joe draws the foul) | ||
| 0:24 | | Kenrich Williams turnover (out of bounds bad pass) | ||
| 0:11 | | Jabari Smith Jr. misses two point pullup jump shot | ||
| 0:07 | | Kenrich Williams defensive rebound | ||
| 0:00 | | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander misses three point stepback jump shot | ||
| 0:00 | | Thunder offensive rebound | ||
| 0:00 | | End of period |
| Time | Team | Play | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11:45 | | +2 | Jalen Williams makes two point pullup jump shot (Isaiah Hartenstein assists) | 20-20 |
| 11:26 | | Tari Eason misses three point jump shot | ||
| 11:22 | | Isaiah Joe defensive rebound | ||
| 11:10 | | Isaiah Joe misses two point fadeaway jump shot | ||
| 11:09 | | Jalen Green defensive rebound | ||
| 11:01 | | Alex Caruso personal foul (Jalen Green draws the foul) | ||
| 10:51 | | Jalen Green misses two point stepback jump shot | ||
| 10:49 | | Isaiah Hartenstein defensive rebound | ||
| 10:42 | | +2 | Jalen Williams makes two point stepback jump shot | 20-22 |
| 10:17 | | +2 | Amen Thompson makes two point layup (Alperen Sengun assists) | 22-22 |
| 10:06 | | +2 | Isaiah Hartenstein makes two point alley-oop dunk (Ajay Mitchell assists) | 22-24 |
| 9:50 | | Amen Thompson misses two point jump shot | ||
| 9:47 | | Ajay Mitchell defensive rebound | ||
| 9:38 | | Alex Caruso misses three point jump shot |