Washington (United States) (AFP) – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 40 points and the reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder beat Washington 132-111 on Saturday following a second-quarter melee that resulted in four ejections. Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Gilgeous-Alexander added seven assists and three rebounds to his seventh 40-point effort of the season. Chet Holmgren contributed 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Isaiah Hartenstein had nine points, 20 rebounds, and 10 assists. The Thunder own the NBA’s best record at 56-15 and are on an 11-game win streak, while the Wizards have the league’s second-worst record at 16-54 and lost their 15th game in a row.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 20 points in the first half to extend his NBA record streak of games with 20 or more points to 131 in a row. However, the win was overshadowed by a wild melee in the first half that led to a flurry of ejections. The altercation, which halted the game for 11 minutes, came with 27 seconds remaining in the second quarter, just after Oklahoma City grabbed a 68-63 lead. Thunder forward Jaylin Williams held the ball after the basket and twice bumped into Washington’s Justin Champagnie. Oklahoma City’s Ajay Mitchell came up to confront Champagnie and was smacked in the face for his trouble, igniting the brawl.
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Referee Nate Green pushed Champagnie back to try and ease tensions while Mitchell kept advancing and was pushed forward into a camera, causing a wave of players to fall into a pile behind the baseline, all trying to support their side in the melee. Washington’s Champagnie was given two technical fouls and ejected, while Williams was issued two technicals and ejected as well. Mitchell and Thunder teammate Cason Wallace were both issued a technical foul for escalation of the altercation and each was ejected. Mitchell scored 14 points, while Wallace had four, Williams had none, and Champagnie had three for Washington.
Oklahoma City led 69-64 at halftime, but with two starters and key reserve Williams out for the second half, the stage was set for the reigning MVP to seize command. Gilgeous-Alexander sank his first three-pointer of the game at the buzzer for the last of his 16 third-quarter points, giving the Thunder a 103-96 edge entering the fourth. Oklahoma City then outscored Washington 15-0 over the first 5:48 of the fourth quarter to seal the victory.
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