Ajay Mitchell, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander lead injury-riddled Thunder past Suns 125-114

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Ajay Mitchell scored a career-high 30 points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 26 and the short-handed Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Phoenix Suns 125-114 on Monday night.

Jared McCain scored 18 points and Isaiah Hartenstein had 15 points and 13 rebounds to help keep Oklahoma City perfect through four games, a night after Oklahoma City lost starters Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace to serious injuries.

Williams and Wallace were hurt in Sunday night’s 108-101 win over the Clippers and both will require surgery that could be season-ending.

Big man Chet Holmgren was sidelined Monday with patellar tendinitis in his right knee. A fourth player, reserve guard Alex Caruso, was assisted to the locker room late in the second quarter with a sprained right ankle and did not return. Caruso, seeing extended minutes because of the Thunder’s other injuries, came up limping after colliding with another player.

Jalen Green scored 20 points, Dillon Brooks added 19 and Miles Bridges had 17 for Phoenix. Devin Booker was limited to three points on 1-for-7 shooting.

Mitchell started in Williams’ place and gave the Thunder a lift with 18 points in the first half. McCain started for Wallace and contributed 10 points before the break. Caruso added nine points for Oklahoma City, which led 67-53 at halftime.

The Thunder’s advantage ballooned to 89-72 on McCain’s 3-pointer with three minutes left in the third quarter.

Up next

Suns: Host Denver on Friday night.

Thunder: At Dallas on Wednesday night.

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