Thunder edge Suns for 11th straight win, move to 19-1

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 37 points to help the Oklahoma City Thunder record their 11th consecutive win, a 123-119 home victory over the Phoenix Suns on Friday in an NBA Cup game.

The win sends the Thunder to the knockout round of the NBA Cup after they went 4-0 in West Group A.

Oklahoma City also improved to 19-1, becoming the fifth team in NBA history to win at least 19 games in the season’s first 20.

The Suns, who lost for just the third time in 12 games overall, fell to 3-1 in NBA Cup action. They can earn the Western Conference wild-card spot depending on the result of the late game between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Los Angeles Clippers.

After capturing the first nine games of the winning streak by 13 or more points, Oklahoma City has now won back-to-back tight games.

The Thunder led by 15 early in the fourth quarter before the Suns tightened the margin, pulling within one with 3:31 remaining on a dunk by Oso Ighodaro.

Much of that comeback came with Gilgeous-Alexander on the bench to start the fourth quarter.

When he returned, Gilgeous-Alexander was dominant on offense, scoring 15 points in the last six-plus minutes, but Phoenix wasn’t going away.

Three times, the Suns pulled within one, but each time Oklahoma City answered to extend the lead again.

Gilgeous-Alexander finally all but put the game on ice with a pair of free throws with 4.7 seconds remaining.

He finished with eight assists and just one turnover.

Chet Holmgren added 23 points for the Thunder, and Cason Wallace and Jaylin Williams each contributed 14.

Oklahoma City’s Jalen Williams, an All-Star last season, made his season debut after missing the first 19 games following offseason right wrist surgery.

Jalen Williams showed plenty of rust on offense, going just 1 of 7 from the field in the first half before finishing with 11 points on 3-of-12 shooting. He did dish out eight assists.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s step-back 3-pointer with just more than a minute remaining in the third quarter gave him 22 points.

Gilgeous-Alexander has now scored 20 or more points in 92 consecutive games, tying him with Wilt Chamberlain for the second-longest such streak in NBA history. Chamberlain holds the record with 20 or more points in 126 consecutive games.

The news wasn’t all good for the Thunder, though.

Center Isaiah Hartenstein missed the game with right ankle soreness and Ajay Mitchell, whose role had expanded greatly without Jalen Williams in the lineup, sustained a left knee contusion late in the first quarter and did not return.

Collin Gillespie led the Suns with 24 points while Devin Booker added 21 and Dillon Brooks 19. Mark Williams amassed 13 points and 14 rebounds.

Oklahoma City outscored Phoenix 29-12 off turnovers.