OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Isaiah Joe every scored 23 factors and the Oklahoma City Thunder rolled previous the Indiana Pacers 126-106 on Wednesday night time for their fourth straight victory.
Lu Dort had 22 factors and a career-high 11 rebounds and Kenrich Williams added 12 factors and a career-best 10 assists for the Thunder. Oklahoma City shot 50.5% from the sector and made 16 of 38 3-pointers.
The Thunder are 7-2 in 2023. All seven wins are by double digits, together with a 150-117 victory over Boston on Jan. 3.
“I think the team is growing in confidence, and the confidence is kind of a collective confidence,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault mentioned. “It’s not like an individual player just playing on a ridiculous streak or anything like that. The group is gaining confidence together, and we want to be a team that the whole is better than the sum of the parts.”
The staff set a Thunder document with 41 assists on 47 baskets in opposition to Indiana’s zone protection. Joe, a reserve who tied a profession excessive with seven 3-pointers in simply 22 minutes, mentioned the dedication to passing is making the offense work.
“The ball has energy,” Joe mentioned. “Whenever we move the ball like that, we get really good looks and we tend to make more shots. It’s a fun way to play.”
Andrew Nembhard scored 18 factors for the Pacers, who misplaced their fifth straight. Buddy Hield, who entered the night time averaging 18 factors per contest, scored simply three factors on 1-for-4 taking pictures in 19 minutes. Indiana shot 41.5% from the ground.
The Pacers had been with out guard Tyrese Haliburton. The NBA’s help chief suffered sprains to his left knee and elbow final week and is anticipated to be out for at the least one other week.
Without him, Oklahoma City raced out to a 17-1 lead. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle mentioned that was an excessive amount of too early.
“We allowed them to do too many things they wanted to do in the first five minutes, and you get down 19-1 or whatever it was, playing out of that kind of hole on the road is almost impossible,” he mentioned.
Daigneault was anxious about how a lot power Oklahoma City would have of their first dwelling sport after a three-game rip. The Thunder dealt with it high-quality and led 58-44 at halftime, behind 17 factors from Dort.
“I thought the first half was just super sharp stuff,” Daigneault mentioned. “You can’t underestimate the power of getting off to a good start and particularly coming off the road, coming to a home game. Those are tough games.”
Oklahoma City shot 68% within the interval to guide 100-73 heading into the fourth.
“The beginning of the game was ugly,” Carlisle mentioned. “And most of the rest of it was ugly other than the fourth quarter.”
QUOTABLE
Daigneault on Joe’s 3-point taking pictures: “He’s got a very mature floor game for game for a guy that shoots it like that. He really doesn’t take a lot of bad ones.”
TIP-INS
Pacers: Hield performed faculty basketball on the close by University of Oklahoma and was cheered when he was introduced as a starter. … Went practically 4 minutes with out a made subject purpose at first of the sport. … Indiana’s bench was issued a technical foul within the second quarter. … C Myles Turner had six blocks.
Thunder: Had 11 assists on 12 baskets within the first quarter. … Shot 60% within the first quarter to take a 36-20 lead. … G Josh Giddey fouled out with 16 factors, 11 assists and 6 rebounds in 29 minutes.
UP NEXT
Pacers: At Denver on Friday night time.
Thunder: At Sacramento on Friday night time.
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Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: twitter.com/CliffBruntAP
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