The reigning MVP scored 28 points in the second half to lift OKC over Orlando.
The Oklahoma City Thunder opened a five-game road trip on Tuesday night in Orlando, and did so riding an eight-game winning streak into a matchup with the Magic. It was a battle between two projected playoff teams, and it played out exactly like that, with momentum swinging back and forth throughout the night.
By definition, this was a game of runs.
The Thunder looked like they might break things open for good in the first half. After a dominant start to the second quarter, OKC built an 18-point lead and appeared to be in control. But Orlando kept chipping away, closed the gap before halftime, and eventually turned it into a true second-half fight. The Magic even grabbed small leads at different points after the break, forcing the Thunder to keep responding.
A big part of Orlando’s ability to erase that early deficit was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s slow start. After one of his roughest offensive performances of the season Sunday against the Timberwolves, the first half in this one was not much better. Gilgeous-Alexander had just 12 points on 4-of-12 shooting before halftime and looked like he might be headed for another off night.
Instead, he completely flipped the game.
Like the best players in the league do, Gilgeous-Alexander took over in the second half and delivered another signature performance. He scored 28 points after the break on 10-of-15 shooting and knocked down all three of his attempts from beyond the arc. By the end of the night, he had 40 points to lead all scorers and once again reminded everyone why he remains one of the most dangerous closers in basketball.
He got key support from Chet Holmgren, who finished with 20 points, and Ajay Mitchell, who added 16. Those were the only three Thunder players to score in double figures, which made Shai’s second-half takeover even more important.
On the other side, Paolo Banchero was the biggest reason Orlando stayed in it. He poured in 32 points in one of his better performances of the season and consistently gave the Magic a reliable offensive answer whenever OKC tried to create separation. Orlando also got a balanced effort overall, with six players scoring in double figures, which kept the pressure on the Thunder all night.
Still, OKC did enough in the areas that mattered.
The Thunder shot better from the field, shot better from the free throw line, won the rebounding battle, and created more points off turnovers. Even though the Magic made repeated pushes and turned it into a grind, the Thunder still controlled much of the night, leading for nearly 28 minutes.
In the end, that was enough for OKC to escape with its ninth straight win.
Now, the Thunder will have to turn the page quickly as the road trip continues tomorrow in Brooklyn against the Nets on the second night of a back-to-back.