PHOENIX — Canada’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 42 points in a brilliant shooting performance, Ajay Mitchell added 15 in place of the injured Jalen Williams and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Phoenix Suns 121-109 on Saturday to take a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference first-round series.
Gilgeous-Alexander — the league’s reigning MVP — hit 15 of 18 shots on a variety of tough looks, frustrating a Suns defense that actually played decently for much of the game. Alex Caruso added 13 points off the bench while Chet Holmgren had 10 points, seven rebounds and two blocks.
The defending champion Thunder will go for the sweep in Game 4 on Monday in Phoenix.
Dillon Brooks of Mississauga, Ont. led the Suns with 33 points on 11-of-21 shooting while Jalen Green added 26.
Oklahoma City took an 87-79 lead after three quarters and never trailed in the fourth. Gilegous-Alexander hit a difficult fallaway 19-foot jumper to put the Thunder up 102-87 with about five minutes left, deflating the Suns crowd and pretty much ending any hope for a comeback.
The Thunder were leading 69-60 early in the third quarter when Suns guard Devin Booker hurt his left ankle on a drive to the basket. He stayed on the floor for a few seconds in obvious pain before getting up and hobbling back to the locker room.
The five-time All-Star returned a few minutes later to huge cheers from the home crowd, making a short baseline jumper and a 3-pointer to cut the Thunder’s lead to 75-69.
Oklahoma City scored the next six points to turn back the rally. Booker finished with 16 points and seven assists.
The Suns took an early 24-15 lead but the Thunder erased the deficit in a hurry, hitting four three-pointers during a 16-3 run. The game was tight throughout the rest of the first half with Oklahoma City surging ahead late in the second quarter for a 62-53 lead.
Gilgeous-Alexander made all seven of his shots before the break to lead the Thunder with 17 points. Brooks scored 13 for the Suns.
The Thunder were without Williams, the high-scoring guard who hurt his left hamstring in Game 2. Mitchell started in his place and shot just 5 of 20 from the field, but added six rebounds and two assists.
The Suns were without center Mark Williams (foot) and guard Jordan Goodwin (calf). Grayson Allen returned from a hamstring injury and scored seven points in 17 minutes.
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