OKLAHOMA CITY — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points, and the Oklahoma City Thunder improved to 6-0 with a 127-108 victory over the Washington Wizards on Thursday night.
Reserve guard Ajay Mitchell continued his strong start, adding 20 points and going a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line. He’s now 19-for-19 on the season. Isaiah Joe, returning from a knee bruise that kept him out of the first five games, scored 20 points and hit five 3-pointers for a Thunder team that entered the night ranked last in the NBA in 3-point percentage at just 28.8%.
Oklahoma City’s defense again made the difference, forcing 22 turnovers while committing only six. Rookie Cason Wallace led the team with four steals, and Alex Caruso added three.
CJ McCollum paced the Wizards with 19 points, while Bilal Coulibaly chipped in 16 as Washington dropped its third straight to fall to 1-4.
Despite their unblemished record, not everything is smooth for the defending NBA champions. Earlier Thursday, Thunder general manager Sam Presti announced that rookie guard Nikola Topic had been diagnosed with testicular cancer and has begun chemotherapy. The team also continues to deal with other injuries — star forwards Chet Holmgren (lower back soreness) and Jalen Williams (right wrist surgery) both remained sidelined.
Still, Oklahoma City showed its trademark poise. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 20 points in the first half as the Thunder used a 15-5 run to take a 59-49 halftime lead. Washington rallied to within two late in the third quarter before a late surge — capped by Jaylin Williams’ buzzer-beating 3-pointer — gave the Thunder a 92-84 edge heading into the fourth. Oklahoma City stretched its lead to as many as 24 in the final period.
The Thunder will look to keep their perfect start alive when they host the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday.
