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Gilgeous-Alexander hits career-high 55 in Thunder double overtime win / Photo: © GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
NYSE - LSE
Gilgeous-Alexander hits career-high 55 in Thunder double overtime win
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a career-high 55 points to lead reigning champion Oklahoma City over Indiana 141-135 in double overtime on Thursday in a historic rematch of last season's NBA Finals.
Hours after the league was rocked by a massive illegal gambling probe, reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Gilgeous-Alexander dragged the Thunder to victory.
The Canadian added eight rebounds and five assists while hitting 15-of-31 shots from the floor and 23-of-26 free throws to lead a 45-of-51 Thunder effort from the line.
The 27-year-old guard, last season's top NBA scorer, netted nine points in the second overtime to lift Oklahoma City over a determined Pacers squad.
After the Thunder won their season opener at home Tuesday over Houston 125-124 in double overtime, they became the first club in NBA history to go into double overtime in their first two games of a campaign.
Gilgeous-Alexander, whose prior career-best was 54 points, managed his fifth NBA career 50-point game.
Ajay Mitchell came off the bench to score 26 points for Oklahoma City and Aaron Wiggins added 23 points, while Isaiah Hartenstein grabbed 14 rebounds and Chet Holmgren contributed 15 points and 12 rebounds.
Gilgeous-Alexander's three-point play gave the Thunder a 127-126 lead in the second overtime and his bank shot with 2:47 to play in the second extra period gave the reigning champions a 132-128 edge.
The Pacers never came within four again as Gilgeous-Alexander added four free throws in the final 30 seconds.
Canadian guard Bennedict Mathurin led Indiana with 36 points and grabbed 11 rebounds while Cameroonian playmaker Pascal Siakam added 32 points and 15 rebounds for the Pacers.
Mitchell sank two free throws with 54.2 seconds remaining in the first overtime to level the score at 122-122.
Gilgeous-Alexander and Mathurin then traded hoops in the last 30 seconds but Gilgeous-Alexander missed a layup attempt and the game went to a second overtime.
A Gilgeous-Alexander free throw with 13 seconds remaining in regulation gave the Thunder a 113-111 advantage but Siakam sank a 21-foot jumper to lift the Pacers level with 6.8 seconds to go.
Gilgeous-Alexander missed a final shot and the game went into overtime.
The Thunder visited Indianapolis to face a Pacers squad far different than the one they played for the crown last June.
Indiana were without star guard Tyrese Haliburton, who suffered a torn Achilles tendon in game seven of last season's finals and is out for the season, and center Myles Turner, who departed for Milwaukee.
There was more injury misery for Indiana to come.
The Pacers seized a 25-22 lead after the first quarter but lost Canadian guard Andrew Nembhard for the rest of the game to a left shoulder injury in the second quarter as the Thunder jumped ahead 54-47 at halftime.
Gilgeous-Alexander had 21 points in the first half, hitting 11-of-12 free throws.
The Thunder clung to an 81-78 lead entering the fourth quarter and the contest stayed tight to the long-anticipated finish.
The Denver Nuggets, powered by three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, will open their season at Golden State in a later game. The Warriors began their campaign by defeating the Los Angeles Lakers.
I.Rodriguez--SFF
