The Oklahoma City Thunder grinded out a 113-105 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves for its 12th consecutive regular-season win, tying a franchise record.
Oklahoma City outscored Minnesota 36-10 in the last 8:30 of the third quarter -- shooting 13-for-15 from the field, forcing 10 turnovers and allowing just three field goals. Gilgeous-Alexander racked up 19 points in the quarter on eight shot attempts, finishing a driving left-handed layup over Naz Reid as time expired.
Donte DiVincenzo swished a 28-foot 3-pointer with 3:55 remaining in the game, bringing the Timberwolves deficit down to four points. Reid secured an offensive rebound and put-back layup on the next possession.
The Thunder received a timely Cason Wallace steal leading to a wide-open Isaiah Hartenstein dunk, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander knocked down a catch-and-shoot three to put his team up six points with 1:48 left. Jalen Williams stole the ball from Reid for a breakaway slam under a minute remaining, sealing the game's result.
Gilgeous-Alexander recorded 40 points on 15-for-23 shooting, three rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Hartenstein tallied 15 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal. Jalen Williams scored 14 points on 6-for-12 shooting, adding seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals.
Anthony Edwards led Minnesota scorers with 20 points on 6-for-12 shooting, including 4-for-7 on 3-pointers. Reid recorded 19 points on 14 shots, eight rebounds and three blocks off the bench.
The Thunder started Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Hartenstein, Luguentz Dort and Wallace.
The Timberwolves started Mike Conley, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert.
Dort bounced in a mid-range jumper to start the game -- Gilgeous-Alexander then scored the next eight Oklahoma City points. Conley swished an open triple from a Gobert perimeter screen and dropped in an early off-hand floater for the Timberwolves, whose defense kept the Thunder offense in check. Oklahoma City shot 1-for-10 from deep in the first quarter and trailed 24-21 at the break.
Gobert's interior presence made a significant difference, forcing Hartenstein into difficult floater looks and Oklahoma City drivers to take off-balance layups. The Thunder shot 9-for-23 on shots within 10 feet during the first half.
DiVincenzo and Reid each found Josh Minott for backdoor alley-oops to begin the second frame, as Oklahoma City's offensive struggles increased with Gilgeous-Alexander on the bench. Ajay Mitchell converted an and-one scoop over Gobert on the quarter's first possession, though the Thunder made one of its next five field-goal attempts before he checked back in.
Edwards went scoreless in the first quarter after making two well-earned free throws on the Timberwolves' opening possession, but he caught fire for 11 second-quarter points on 5-for-5 shooting -- including three 3-pointers. Minnesota held a 52-46 lead at the half despite making six threes on 19 attempts and committing nine turnovers.
Coming out of halftime, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault employed an unsuccessful challenge on an out-of-bound play, as Jalen Williams committed a proximate foul on Randle, and called a timeout due to Dort and Hartenstein maintaining possession on the ground. Conley drilled 3-pointers on three straight possessions to expand the Timberwolves' lead to 12 points three and a half minutes into the third quarter.
Hartenstein fueled the Thunder's early fourth-quarter offense -- he threw down an and-one alley-oop from Jalen Williams, drew four other free throws and found a cutting Aaron Wiggins for a wide-open layup.
Oklahoma City opens the new year at home against the LA Clippers this Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, at 7 p.m. CST.