Thunder hold off Blazers to avenge lone defeat of season

The NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder avenged their only defeat of the season, using a fourth-quarter surge to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 123-115 and improve to 20-1.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 26 points to lead six Thunder players in double figures.

With their 12th straight win, Oklahoma City are off to the best start since the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors opened the season 21-0.

Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Gilgeous-Alexander’s 93rd straight game with at least 20 points is the second-longest such streak behind Wilt Chamberlain’s 126 straight set from October 1961-January 1963. He surpassed a 92-game streak set by Chamberlain from February 1963-March 1964.

Centre Chet Holmgren added 19 points, nine rebounds, three blocked shots and a steal for the Thunder, who opened the final period on an 8-0 scoring run to gain the upper hand in a tense clash that featured 15 lead changes.

OKC suffered their only defeat of the season against the Blazers on November 5, when the Thunder squandered a 22-point lead and fell 121-119 at Portland. The Blazers again put them to the test taking an 87-85 lead into the final period.

Deni Avdija led the Trail Blazers with a triple-double of 31 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists, but the Thunder wouldn’t be denied.

Aaron Wiggins came up with a steal and a basket to launch the fourth-quarter opening burst. Holmgren produced a massive block then made a layup.

Jalen Williams threw down a dunk, Ajay Mitchell came up with another steal and a layup and suddenly the Thunder had a six-point lead less than two minutes into the final frame.

“(We) got a lot of turnovers in that stretch,” Williams said.