Thunder rout Knicks, 126-101, start new streak

NEW YORK — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 39 points in 29 minutes, and the Oklahoma City Thunder emphatically bounced back to rout the New York Knicks 126-101 on Friday night in the first game since their 15-game winning streak was snapped.

Isaiah Joe added 23 of his 31 points in the first half for the Thunder, who were coming off a 129-122 loss at NBA-leading Cleveland on Wednesday in the biggest game of the season thus far. There was no hangover at Madison Square Garden, where Oklahoma City had a 36-12 run in the first half en route to a 70-43 lead.

Jalen Brunson scored 27 points and Karl-Anthony Towns had 23 in the Knicks’ fourth loss in five games, a stretch that began when the Thunder used a big fourth quarter to win 117-107 last Friday and snap New York’s nine-game winning streak.

No big finish needed this time. The Thunder had the game in hand by halftime.

Takeaways

Thunder: Oklahoma City made it clear quickly it wasn’t letting Wednesday’s loss linger and gave coach Mark Daigneault an easy one on a night when he wasn’t feeling well and wore a mask at times.

Knicks: The Knicks were booed multiple times in the first half of perhaps the low point of their season, which featured an 0-for-9 night by Mikal Bridges.

Key moment

Oklahoma City closed the first quarter with a 12-0 spurt to lead 31-17. The Thunder then unleashed a 19-5 run over more than six minutes of the second to extend a 12-point lead to 55-29. Joe got 11 points in that stretch.

Key stat

Adding Oklahoma City’s 37-19 advantage in the decisive fourth quarter last Friday to its 31-17 lead after the first period of this game, the Thunder outscored the Knicks 68-36 over consecutive quarters.

Up next

The Knicks host Milwaukee on Sunday. The Thunder visit Washington that night.