Gilgeous-Alexander’s 34 help Thunder push win streak to 4

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OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points, and the Oklahoma City Thunder rallied from 15 points down in the second half to beat the Orlando Magic 116-108 on Tuesday night for their fourth straight win.

Aleksej Pokusevski added 16 points for the Thunder, who improved to 4-3 and have a winning record for the first time since nine games into the 2020-21 season.

Wendell Carter, Jr. tied a career high with 30 points and Franz Wagner added 20 for Orlando. Paolo Banchero, the No. 1 pick in the 2022 draft, had 15 points and eight rebounds.


Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) pushes past Oklahoma City Thunderguard Jalen Williams (8) in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)

Orlando led 66-63 at halftime, then scored the first nine points of the third quarter. The Magic extended the lead to 86-71 with just under 5 minutes left in the third quarter. The Thunder chipped away, and Orlando led just 88-85 heading into the fourth.

Pokusevski made a 3-pointer to give the Thunder a 105-104 lead with just over 4 minutes to play, and he later made a layup to put Oklahoma City ahead 109-106. Lu Dort hit a 3-pointer with 51 seconds remaining to put the Thunder up six and in control for good.

TIP-INS

Magic: C Mo Bamba was called for a technical in the second quarter. … Orlando was issued a technical in the fourth quarter for a second delay of game. … Outrebounded the Thunder 49-36. … F Bol Bol had four blocks. He entered the night ranked fourth in the league with 2.4 per game. He also had 13 points and 12 rebounds.

Thunder: G Josh Giddey had 10 assists in his return from an ankle injury. … Rookie G Jalen Williams scored six points in his first career start. … Gilgeous-Alexander missed a free throw after making his first 34 this season. He blew past the previous Thunder record of 23 set by Danilo Gallinari in 2019.

UP NEXT

Magic: Host the Golden State Warriors on Thursday.

Thunder: Host the Denver Nuggets on Thursday.

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Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: twitter.com/CliffBruntAP

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