Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points in 22 minutes, and the Oklahoma City Thunder routed the short-handed Milwaukee Bucks, 125-96, on Monday night, Feb. 3.
Gilgeous-Alexander stars as Thunder roll past short-handed Bucks
At a glance
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points in 22 minutes, and the Oklahoma City Thunder routed the short-handed Milwaukee Bucks, 125-96, on Monday night, Feb. 3.

Milwaukee was without injured stars Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton, turning what could have been an exciting rematch of the NBA Cup final that Milwaukee won into a blowout.
Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA’s leading scorer, showed no mercy. He scored 21 points on 9-for-11 shooting in the first quarter as the Thunder took a 39-22 lead. He scored 30 in the first half as the Thunder took a 78-44 lead. He left the game for good with 6:17 remaining and the Thunder ahead 96-54.
Ousmane Dieng finished with 21 points and seven rebounds and Isaiah Joe added 18 points for the Thunder, who improved to 39-9 despite all-star Jalen Williams sitting out with a sprained right wrist.
Antetokounmpo, a two-time MVP with nine straight All-Star Game selections, is dealing with right patella tendinopathy. Lillard has a sore left groin. Lopez has back soreness. Middleton’s workload is limited as he comes back from offseason surgery to each of his ankles.
It was too much for the Bucks to overcome in their fourth straight loss. The Bucks had scored at least 100 points in every regular-season game since scoring 99 points against Toronto on Nov. 12.
Ryan Rollins led the Bucks with 16 points.
Meanwhile in Salt Lake City, Pascal Siakam scored 10 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter to help the Indiana Pacers beat the Utah Jazz, 112-111, for their fourth straight win.
Tyrese Haliburton scored 18 for the Pacers, who played without Myles Turner after the center was a late scratch due to an ankle injury. Obi Toppin and Aaron Nesmith each had 13 points.
John Collins and Jordan Clarkson both scored 21 for the Jazz (11-37), who have dropped nine of 10.
Utah guard Collin Sexton sprained his left ankle in the opening minutes and did not return. Isaiah Collier and Keyonte George combined for 27 points and 21 assists but made errors down the stretch that showed their inexperience.
The Jazz led 101-89 on Collier’s 3-pointer with 6:52 to play, but were outscored 23-10 down the stretch as the Pacers turned up the pressure.
In Denver, Michael Porter Jr. scored a season-high 36 points, Nikola Jokic added 27 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists, and the Nuggets overcame a career-high 41 points from Trey Murphy III to defeat the New Orleans Pelicans, 125-113.
Jamal Murray had 20 points and eight assists while Julian Strawther scored 15 points off the bench for Denver. In his first start of the season, Zeke Nnaji, filling in for the injured Aaron Gordon, had a season-high 12 points.
The triple-double was Jokic’s NBA-best 23rd of the season and ninth in his past 11 games.
In Memphis, Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 31 points, GG Jackson added a season-high 27, and the Grizzlies defeated the San Antonio Spurs, 128-109.
Ja Morant, returning after a two-game absence to nurse a sore right shoulder, finished with 25 points and 11 assists as Memphis won its ninth in the last 10. The victory, coupled with Houston’s 124-118 loss to the New York Knicks, gave Memphis a 1 1/2-game advantage over the Rockets for second place in the West.
In Minneapolis, DeMar DeRozan scored 33 points, and the Sacramento Kings edged the Minnesota Timberwolves, 116-114, after finalizing their trade for Zach LaVine.
Malik Monk had 26 points for the Kings, who closed out a 2-6 road trip. Keegan Murray added 19 points.