Jared McCain scored 20 points, Isaiah Joe added 19 and the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Chicago Bulls 116-108 on Tuesday night while resting star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning MVP, was held out as he continues to manage an abdominal strain that sidelined him for much of last month. Even without him, the Thunder had enough firepower to win for the sixth time in seven games and improve to a Western Conference-best 48-15.
McCain knocked down four 3-pointers to lead a balanced Oklahoma City attack. Aaron Wiggins scored 18 points, Jaylin Williams delivered 17 points and 16 rebounds, Cason Wallace also had 17 points and Chet Holmgren chipped in 12 points and 11 boards.
Chicago made a late push behind Collin Sexton, who scored 20 points and drilled a 3-pointer in the final minute to cut the deficit to 112-106. But the Bulls couldn’t complete the rally and returned to the loss column after snapping an 11-game skid with a blowout of Milwaukee on Sunday.
Guerschon Yabusele had a season-high 18 points and 12 rebounds — his third double-double in 11 games since being acquired from New York at the trade deadline — and made four 3-pointers. Josh Giddey narrowly missed a triple-double with 14 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. Matas Buzelis scored 11 before exiting late in the third quarter after rolling his right ankle when he stepped on Williams’ foot.
The Thunder trailed 60-59 early in the third before Holmgren ignited a 14-3 run with a dunk. Oklahoma City closed the quarter on an 8-2 burst — capped by a McCain 3-pointer — to take an 87-76 lead into the fourth and maintained control the rest of the way.
Up Next: The Thunder visit New York on Wednesday night. The Bulls travel to Phoenix on Thursday night.
