Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren help Thunder stop Hawks

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Nov 6, 2023; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) defends Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) as he looses control of the ball during the first quarter at Paycom Center.
Nov 6, 2023; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) defends Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) as he looses control of the ball during the first quarter at Paycom Center.
Image: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 126-117 win over the visiting Atlanta Hawks on Monday.

The win snapped a two-game losing streak for the Thunder and a four-game winning streak for the Hawks.

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Gilgeous-Alexander missed Friday's loss to Golden State with a sprained left knee.

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Trailing by 19 entering the fourth quarter, the Hawks didn't go away quietly and steadily cut into the Thunder's lead, eventually to six with a minute remaining.

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But rookie center Chet Holmgren grabbed a rebound of Gilgeous-Alexander's miss and laid it in, then was fouled by Onyeka Okongwu and made the free throw to finally put the game away.

While Holmgren, the rookie center, struggled from the field, shooting just 4-of-14, he was otherwise excellent for Oklahoma City.

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Holmgren finished with 16 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks, three assists, a steal and just one turnover.

Jalen Williams added 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting for the Thunder, while Luguentz Dort scored 19. Isaiah Joe had 12 off the bench.

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After a tight first half, the Thunder started to pull away in the third, scoring 38 in the third quarter to stretch their lead to 96-77 going into the fourth.

Gilgeous-Alexander got going in the quarter, making 4 of 6 from the field to score 11 points in the frame.

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After going scoreless in nine minutes in the first half, Joe also came alive offensively in the third, hitting a trio of 3-pointers.

All of Joe's threes came in a stretch of less than a minute late in the quarter, kickstarting a 15-4 run that put the lead at 19 for the first time.

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The Hawks' Trae Young turned the ball over three times in the final four minutes of the third quarter.

Dejounte Murray scored 29 points, hitting six 3-pointers, to lead the Hawks. Young added 22 points and 11 assists but finished with a season-high seven turnovers.

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Atlanta, who entered the game as one of the best shooting teams in the NBA, shot just 37.3 percent from the field, by far their worst shooting performance of the season.

—Field Level Media