OKC Thunder extend strong start with third straight win
The Oklahoma City Thunder, the defending champions, kept their hot start alive on Saturday by extending their winning streak to three with a 117-100 victory at the Atlanta Hawks in an NBA game.
The Thunder effectively sealed the game in the third quarter, finishing it 39-25 and building on a five-point halftime lead, thanks to the contributions of Chet Holmgren and their Canadian star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Holmgren finished with 31 points and Gilgeous-Alexander added 30 after Holmgren's 55-point breakout two days earlier against the Indiana Pacers in a 141-135 win.
Holmgren was particularly lethal from distance, knocking down six of eight three-pointers and adding 12 rebounds, while Gilgeous-Alexander attacked inside the arc, converting 10 of 11 attempts.
After the final horn Holmgren said, "We still have room to improve. We can get the job done in every game." He also praised Gilgeous-Alexander, the league's reigning star for the season's start to finish, noting his relentless work from game one to game 82.
With three Hawks regulars out—Latvian Kristaps Porzingis (out with fatigue), Zach LaVine (sprained right ankle) and Jalen Johnson (ankle)—Oklahoma City stretched their edge by scoring the first eight points of the second half to push the margin into double digits and maintain the path to a third straight win.
The Thunder led 60-55 at halftime and opened the second half strong, scoring the first eight points to pull away and keep pace with last season's early surge.
For Atlanta, Nickeil Alexander-Walker led with 17 points, while Trae Young added 15 points and 10 assists, but the Hawks couldn't prevent a second loss in three games.
Nuggets keep pace as Jokic notches another triple-double; Bulls, Sixers win elsewhere
In other action, Nikola Jokic produced a triple-double for the second straight game as the Denver Nuggets defeated the Phoenix Suns 133-111, after dropping their opener to the Golden State Warriors 131-137.
Jokic tallied 15 assists and 14 rebounds but finished with 14 points on eight attempts, while Canadian guard Jamal Murray supplied the offense with 23 points.
The Nuggets built a lead early in the third, expanding it to around 20 points before Phoenix rallied to trim the gap to 74-83, but Denver steadied and closed it out in the fourth.
Meanwhile, Josh Giddey highlighted the Bulls' 110-98 win at Orlando, finishing with 21 points and eight rebounds as Chicago capitalized on the Magic's cold outside shooting (3-for-24).
The 76ers moved to 2-0 with a 125-121 win over the Charlotte Hornets, led by Tyrese Maxey's 28 points and nine assists, and Joel Embiid's 20 points. LaMelo Ball led Charlotte with 27 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.
Cedrick Kaord buried all six of his attempts from beyond the arc to pace the Memphis Grizzlies past the Indiana Pacers 128-103.
Punchlines: If basketball were a comedy, the defense would be a magician—watch carefully or it disappears. And if a three-pointer is a kiss, these teams must be dating the arc a lot.
