OKLAHOMA CITY — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 29 points and nine rebounds as the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Dallas Mavericks 117-95 in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinal series on Tuesday night. Recorded 9 assists.
Chet Holmgren had 19 points, seven rebounds and three blocks for the Thunder. Jaylen Williams struggled with his shot in the third quarter, but scored 10 of his 18 points in the fourth to help Oklahoma City remain undefeated in the playoffs.
Gilgeous-Alexander had his best results against fellow MVP finalist Luka Doncic of Dallas. Doncic scored 19 points on 6-of-19 shooting and had five turnovers. Luguentz Dort did most of the work at his guard, with rookie Kason Wallace taking some of the action and Holmgren pestering him near the rim.
For the fifth-seeded Mavericks, Kyrie Irving had 20 points and Daniel Gafford added 16 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks.
Game 2 will be played Thursday night in Oklahoma City.
Gilgeous-Alexander took a short break at the start of the second quarter before entering the game at the 8:20 mark. He scored 11 points in the period, helping the Thunder lead 62-53 at halftime. He scored 19 points in the first half, while reserve Aaron Wiggins scored 12 of his 16 points before intermission.
With Dallas on its own in the second half, Irving's 3-pointer cut Oklahoma City's lead to 66-65, forcing the Thunder to call a timeout.
When play resumed, Isaiah Joe and Dort made 3-pointers, Dort beat Doncic, and Williams dunked, giving the Thunder a 74-67 lead. Gilgeous-Alexander's 3-pointer hit Doncic in the face, giving Oklahoma City an 80-69 lead. Irving hit a 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter, but the Thunder still led 89-79.
Williams scored eight straight points for the Thunder, giving Oklahoma City a 102-87 lead.