Gilgeous-Alexander strikes again for rumbling Thunder

 MIAMI: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put up his fourth 50-point game of the season as Western Conference leaders the Oklahoma City Thunder marched on with a 137-128 win over the Houston Rockets on Monday.

NBA leading scorer Gilgeous-Alexander had 51 points with seven assists, making all 10 of his free throws as the Thunder moved to 50-11 on the season.

He made a dominant start to the game, making 20 of the Thunder’s 30 first-quarter points.

A contender for the league’s Most Valuable Player award this year, Gilgeous-Alexander shot 18 of 30 from the field including 5-of-9 on three-point attempts.

The Thunder didn’t have it all their own way however with Houston leading by nine in the second quarter before Oklahoma City went in a point up at the break.

The Thunder took control in the third quarter, breaking out to a 102-89 lead before the final quarter, when Houston battled back again to get within six.

But consecutive three-pointers from Luguentz Dort late in the fourth made sure of the 27th home win (against four losses) for the Thunder.

“It’s about us just being who we are and we didn’t have enough of it tonight, up to our standard, but we did enough to get the ‘W’,” said Gilgeous-Alexander.

“I’m just trying to be aggressive, trying to get my team energy, trying to make the right play. Whatever the ball and the game tells me to do, I do,” the Canadian added.

Cam Whitmore top-scored for Houston with 27 points and 11 rebounds while Reed Sheppard put up 25 points for the 37-24 Rockets.

The Memphis Grizzlies, now fourth in the West, continued their recent struggles, losing their sixth game in eight with a 132-130 defeat at home to the Atlanta Hawks.

The game went down to the wire with Caris LeVert making a last-second