Thunder Stay Unbeaten After Wins Over Kings, Mavericks

The Oklahoma City Thunder improved to 5-0 with a 107-101 rally over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 and hit a late stepback 3 to seal the victory. Aaron Wiggins and Ajay Mitchell each scored 18; Sacramento was led by Zach LaVine (23), DeMar DeRozan (19) and Domantas Sabonis (10 points, 18 rebounds), and former Thunder Russell Westbrook had 16 points and nine rebounds in his first start. The win followed a 101-94 victory over the Dallas Mavericks the night before, when Isaiah Hartenstein’s late plays and Gilgeous-Alexander’s 23 points helped withstand a furious rally. Chet Holmgren — rested against Sacramento — played vs. Dallas and had 18 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks as the Thunder dominated the paint (68-36) and the boards (55-36) despite playing short-handed. Missing Jalen Williams and Isaiah Joe, the defending champions have shown depth and resilience in back-to-back wins early in the season.