Gilgeous-Alexander and Giddey Lead Thunder Past Knicks in High-Scoring Garden Game

The Oklahoma City Thunder topped the New York Knicks 145-135 at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, powered by 37 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a triple-double from Josh Giddey. Oklahoma City shot a season-high 62.5% from the field.

Giddey finished with 24 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds as the Thunder won their fifth consecutive game at the Garden. The performance placed him alongside Wilt Chamberlain, who in 1968 was the only other player in NBA history to post triple-doubles in his first two games at the arena. "Any time your name is within the company of (Chamberlain), one of the all-time greats, is special," Giddey said. "But basketball is a team game, so if those things contribute to winning and helping my guys around me be better, then it makes it worth it."

Lu Dort added 24 points for Oklahoma City, and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl contributed 17. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault credited the team's shot selection and ball movement. "We took the right shots; we made the right passes," he said. "No one was pounding it. We just kind of moved it and let the ball find the right guy."

The game began at a rapid pace. New York scored 48 points in the first quarter, a season high for a single period, while shooting 64.5% from the field and going 4 of 7 from 3-point range. The Knicks, who led by as many as 13, had 12 assists on 20 field goals in the opening quarter.

Oklahoma City responded in the second quarter with a season-best 43 points, shooting 74% and outscoring New York by 18 in the period. A 12-point deficit became a six-point halftime lead, and the Thunder closed the half with a 24-12 run on the way to a season-high 79 first-half points. "We obviously didn't start the way we wanted," Daigneault said. "I thought we did a great job of course-correcting in the second quarter."

The Thunder scored 43 again in the third quarter, reaching 122 points through three periods, more than their season average of 113.4 per game. Gilgeous-Alexander had 21 of his points in that quarter, and a 17-2 run turned a three-point game into a rout. He had been held scoreless for the first 8 minutes, 11 seconds. He improved to 5-0 at the Garden across his college career at Kentucky and his professional career.

Six Knicks reached double figures. Cam Reddish led them with a season-high 26 points, Julius Randle scored 25 and Immanuel Quickley had 24. Isaiah Hartenstein, starting for a third straight game in place of the injured Mitchell Robinson, had 14 points and seven rebounds. Robinson missed his fifth consecutive game with a knee injury.

RJ Barrett, the Knicks' second-leading scorer, ran into foul trouble and managed a season-low four points on 2-of-10 shooting in 19 minutes. He sat for the final 21-plus minutes. Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said the team was "looking for life" after falling far behind, and that the lineup on the floor provided a spark. He also acknowledged the challenge of defending Oklahoma City's stars: "You're not guarding those guys individually, you're guarding those guys with your team, so that's where we fell short."

Giddey had also produced a big night in the Thunder's previous visit, finishing with 28 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds in a 127-123 overtime win on Feb. 14. "We only come (to MSG) once (per season), so we've got to make the most of it," he said. The Thunder have now scored 130 or more points in three straight games, going 2-1 in that span. Oklahoma City plays at Boston on Monday, while New York visits Utah on Tuesday.