SGA Powers Thunder Past Raptors

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Playing their third game in four nights and playing without Danilo Gallinari (left ankle soreness) and Dennis Schroder (right ankle soreness) you can be forgiven if you didn't think the Thunder had much of a shot to beat the defending NBA champion Raptors on their home floor in Toronto.

You can be forgiven but really by now, with this team, you should know better.

The Thunder, a team most folks thought might be able to win 20, perhaps 25 games this season, won their 17th last night when budding star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hit what turned into the winning shot in OKC's 98-97 victory.

SGA finished with 32 points, tying the career high he set just a few days ago. It's the most points a native Canadian, he grew up near Toronto in Ontario, has scored against the Raptors. He had dozens of friends and family members in the crowd.

Chris Paul also had a big night with 25 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. In addition to Gilgeous-Alexander, who's in just his second NBA season, Thunder young guns Terrance Ferguson, Lou Dort and Darius Bazley played stout defense and Bazley got his offense going in the second half hitting four 3s and scoring 12 points.

The Thunder have now won six of their last seven games and are solidly in playoff contention sitting all alone in 7th place in the Western Conference. They'll host the Dallas Mavericks in OKC's traditional New Year's Eve game tomorrow night.


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