Gilgeous-Alexander Shines, Suns Late Flurry Downs Thunder

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 32-point performance wasn't enough in Thursday's loss to Phoenix.

Oklahoma City battled down to the wire after capturing a third quarter lead, but couldn't overcome Phoenix's star power late, falling 124-104 to the Suns.

The Thunder were plagued by a slow start, as the starters couldn’t seem to get on the same page in the first quarter. Eight turnovers turnovers early helped the Suns build a big first quarter lead. Phoenix took a 31-14 lead heading into the second frame.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander returned from his absence with an All-Star caliber performance. The Thunder star poured in 32 points in his return to the starting lineup. He shot 13-of-22 from the floor.

Josh Giddey continued his strong play, too, stuffing the stat sheet once again. He finished with 15 points, nine rebounds and six assists.

Oklahoma City received help from the reserves as well, with Tre Mann and Aleksej Pokusevski leading the charge. Mann closed with the starters and finished with 11 points, six assists, five rebounds and four steals. Poku had another efficient game, adding 13 points and seven rebounds.

The Thunder couldn't slow down Suns guard Devin Booker who notched 25 points on 56% shooting.

In the second quarter, Oklahoma City started find its rhythm offensively. The Thunder closed the first half on a 19-2 run thanks to Gilgeous-Alexander’s 15 points.

The Thunder also got major contributions from the bench too. Tre Mann and Aleksej Pokusevski helped lead the reserves on a huge run to get back into the game.

With 10:33 left in the third quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander winded into the lane for a layup to give OKC a 50-49 lead. His ability to score while Giddey handled lead-guard duties was a very positive sign for OKC.

While the Thunder took the lead in the third quarter, and kept it close until the very end, a late Suns push gave Phoenix cushion heading into the final frame. Oklahoma City trailed 85-77 after three.

The Thunder trailed by 11 with 10:26 before the bench came alive once again. Poku and Vit Krejci led the way in the fourth quarter, bringing the Thunder all the way back. With 8:13 remaining in the game, Phoenix’s lead was 94-89.

From that point on, it was all Phoenix. Devin Booker and the Suns' 3-point barrage buried Oklahoma City late.

OKC will play the second leg of its back-to-back Friday night, as the Thunder travel to Indiana to take on the Pacers at 6 p.m.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like SI Thunder on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.