Oklahoma City Thunder Crush Los Angeles Clippers 105-92
The Oklahoma City Thunder continued their hot start to the season with a 105-92 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way for the Thunder with 28 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists. Darius Bazley added 19 points, and Isaiah Roby had 16 points and 12 rebounds.
The Clippers were led by Paul George's 22 points, but he shot just 6-of-19 from the field. Kawhi Leonard added 20 points, but he was also inefficient, shooting 6-of-17.
The Thunder took control of the game in the second quarter, outscoring the Clippers 32-19. They extended their lead to 19 points in the third quarter and cruised to the victory.
Thunder's Defense Shines
The Thunder's defense was the key to their victory. They held the Clippers to just 37.4% shooting from the field and 28.6% shooting from three-point range.
The Thunder also forced the Clippers into 17 turnovers.
"Our defense was great tonight," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "We made them work for everything they got. We were able to get a lot of stops and that led to some easy baskets for us."
George Struggles
George has been one of the best players in the NBA this season, but he struggled against the Thunder. He shot just 6-of-19 from the field and had 7 turnovers.
"I just didn't have it tonight," George said. "I couldn't make shots and I was turning the ball over. I need to be better for my team."
Thunder Improve to 6-3
The Thunder improved to 6-3 with the victory. They are now tied for third place in the Western Conference.
"This was a great win for us," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "We're playing really well right now and we're starting to believe in ourselves."