Thunder beat Suns 118-110, despite Nurkic’s record 31 rebounds

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had an impressive performance with 35 points, nine assists, eight rebounds, and three steals, guiding the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 118-110 win over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday night. The Thunder, victorious in seven of their last eight games, saw notable contributions from Jalen Williams, who added 22 points and three steals, and Chet Holmgren, who contributed 14 points and nine rebounds. Luguentz Dort chipped in with 13 points and three steals for the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City.

Jusuf Nurkic made history for the Suns, setting a franchise record with an astounding 31 rebounds, becoming the fifth player this century to achieve at least 30 boards in a game. This surpassed the previous Phoenix record of 27 rebounds held by Paul Silas (1970-71 season) and Tyson Chandler (2015-16).

Despite Bradley Beal’s 31 points and six assists, along with Kevin Durant’s 20 points for the Suns, they suffered their second consecutive loss. Eric Gordon contributed 15 points, and Nurkic added 14. The absence of star player Devin Booker, who sprained his right ankle in the previous game against the Houston Rockets, impacted the Suns.

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Gilgeous-Alexander continued his impressive streak, scoring 30 or more points for the eighth consecutive game and achieving this feat 45 times this season. He now stands just two games away from matching the Thunder record, set twice by Kevin Durant (2009-10, 2013-14).

Oklahoma City displayed efficient shooting, with a 48 percent success rate from the field, including 9 of 31 from 3-point range. Aaron Wiggins contributed four of the Thunder’s 16 steals, while the team forced an impressive 22 turnovers while committing only six.