TORONTO – Canadian player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 23 points with eight assists and seven rebounds as Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the injured Toronto Raptors 123-103 on Friday.
Chet Holmgren scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as Oklahoma City (49-20) won its fourth consecutive game. Jalen Williams contributed 20 points and Montreal’s Lu Dort scored 10.
Rookie Gradey Dick led Toronto (23-47) with 21 points. Kelly Olynyk of Kamloops, B.C., had 16 points, six rebounds and five assists as the struggling Raptors lost their ninth straight game.
Gary Trent Jr. was unable to play for Toronto due to lower back stiffness.
His absence joined the long list of inactive Raptors players, including Toronto’s entire starting lineup.
The Raptors were already without forward Scottie Barnes (left hand fracture), centre Jakob Poeltl (left hand torn ligament), forward-guard RJ Barrett (personal reasons), point guard Immanuel Quickley (personal reasons), forward Chris Boucher (partial MCL tear), and guard D.J. Carton (right ankle sprain).
“In my 26, 27 years of coaching, I never saw anything like it,” said Toronto head coach Darko Rajakovic. “I don’t think I saw it on other teams either.
“A lot of injuries, a lot of situations, personal reasons, missing time, a lot of stuff hit us. At the same time, it is an opportunity for some other guys, too.”
Despite appearing uneven on paper, Dick scored eight points in the first six minutes of the game, giving Toronto an 11-point lead. Toronto finished the first period with a 6-2 run, holding a 35-28 lead.
Dick scored 13 points in the quarter, a new career high in his first NBA season.
The Thunder responded with a 15-2 run at the beginning of the second quarter, taking the lead. The visiting team outscored Toronto 35-21 in the second quarter, with Williams contributing eight points, resulting in a 63-56 advantage for Oklahoma City at halftime.
Holmgren made a three-pointer from 23 feet, giving the Thunder a 20-point lead with 5:10 left in the third quarter. The Raptors quickly countered with an 8-0 run before OKC forward Gordon Hayward stole the ball from Toronto's backup centre Jontay Porter and passed to Isaiah Joe for an effortless dunk.
Oklahoma City led 89-78 at the start of the final quarter.
Dick sank a deep 25-foot three-pointer just 40 seconds into the fourth quarter, delighting the 19,601 fans at Scotiabank Arena and cutting the Thunder’s lead to 10. This ignited a 10-3 run, bringing OKC's advantage down to just six points.
Williams helped Oklahoma City widen its lead again, scoring six points in the quarter as the Thunder secured the victory.
NO COMMITMENT, NO COMMENT — Gilgeous-Alexander, Dort, and Olynyk are part of the core of 14 players who agreed to represent Canada internationally, initially at the FIBA Men’s World Cup, and later this summer at the Paris Olympics. Several Canadian NBA players, including Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard, and Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins, did not commit to playing for Canada. Gilgeous-Alexander declined to comment when asked about allowing those players to participate in the Olympics.
Gilgeous-Alexander laughed and said he would stay out of it, letting Team Canada general manager Rowan Barrett do his job because he's really good at it.
Gilgeous-Alexander officially received the Northern Star Award as Canada’s top athlete in 2023 on Friday. A group of sports media chose him in December, but he couldn't physically get the award until the Thunder’s sole trip north of the border this season.
NEXT UP — The Raptors head to Washington, D.C., to play against the Wizards (12-58) on Saturday.
On Sunday, Oklahoma City will visit the Milwaukee Bucks (45-25).
This report by The Canadian Press was initially published on March 22, 2024.
