Warriors shock Thunder despite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 52 points

SAN FRANCISCO — During the Warriors’ blazing 12-3 start to the season, when they looked as legitimate as anyone, they beat the Thunder in their building.

A hellish two months and 20 losses later, they stunned the Thunder at Chase Center.

Key Warriors have maintained belief in the current roster, knowing the team that sprinted out of the gates is in there somewhere. If only for a night, it reappeared against the top team in the Western Conference.

“I think this group, we know we’re capable,” Steve Kerr said postgame after getting a celebratory ice-water shower from his team in the locker room. “What we saw early in the year, that was not a mirage. You don’t just fall into that.”

Whether the Warriors’ 116-109 win over Oklahoma City was validation that these Warriors can regain their early-season form or not, it was certainly as inspired an effort as they’ve had all year. On the second night of a back-to-back, without Draymond Green and Jonathan Kuminga, the Warriors overcame 52 points from superstar guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Steph Curry dropped 17 points in the second half and made key plays down the stretch. Andrew Wiggins dropped a team-high 27 points, including five 3-pointers. Kevon Looney matched his regular season career-high with 18 points and Gary Payton II (15 points, nine rebounds) stamped the game with a vicious slam dunk with under a minute left.

“This is a big win for us,” Wiggins said. “They’re the best team in the West. Knowing what we’re capable of when we play together and play the right way and lock in. Hopefully this is a momentum swing for us.”

Golden State Warriors' Gary Payton II #0 dunks past Oklahoma City Thunder's Isaiah Hartenstein #55 in the third quarter of their NBA game at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) — Golden State Warriors’ Gary Payton II #0 dunks past Oklahoma City Thunder’s Isaiah Hartenstein #55 in the third quarter of their NBA game at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

The Warriors (24-23) came into the game as 10-point underdogs at home. Led by Gilgeous-Alexander, the MVP candidate, the Thunder have been by far the most impressive team in the conference all year.

Gilgeous-Alexander outscored the Warriors in the first quarter by himself. He shot 7-for-8 from the field and hit six of seven foul shots. With his pinpoint handle and otherworldly body control, he got to any spot on the floor he wanted.

On one play, Gilgeous-Alexander shook Andrew Wiggins — Golden State’s best perimeter defender — out of his shoes with a crossover on the perimeter and converted at the rim with a nifty, hanging layup.

Hot shooting from Andrew Wiggins and Dennis Schroder off the bench allowed the Warriors to win the six minutes Gilgeous-Alexander sat — 17 to nine — to start the second quarter, pulling the Warriors within six.

With an and-1 over Quinten Post, drive-and-kick dime and 3-pointer, Gilgeous-Alexander stretched Oklahoma City’s lead back up to 10. It would’ve been 13 heading into halftime, but Wiggins drilled a buzzer-beating 3 from the wing.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s 21-point quarter and 31-point half were both the most the Warriors have surrendered in such time frames this year. Oklahoma City won his first 17 minutes by 18 as he scored more than half of his team’s points.

Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry #30 shoots in the third quarter of their NBA game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) — Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry #30 shoots in the third quarter of their NBA game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

Curry, meanwhile, the greatest guard of the past decade, had to get off the ball as he faced frequent traps. He went 1-for-7 from the field in the first half for four points.

Kevon Looney started the second half, replacing Post — who, in his first career start, gave the Warriors their league-leading 28th distinct starting-five but was a non-factor.

The Warriors threw more double teams at Gilgeous-Alexander in the second half, forcing his teammates to beat them. They also mixed in zone defense on occasional possessions. He missed three straight shots, including an airball, in a 15-6 run to pull the Warriors within one.

“I don’t know what to do with Shai,” Kerr said. “I asked Mark (Daigneault) at one point to just leave him on the bench for a couple more minutes, he didn’t comply.”

The only M-V-P chants of the night came for the hometown hero, Curry, as he headed to the line halfway through the third quarter. His free throws extended Golden State’s run to 21-6 as Gilgeous-Alexander missed his first four shots of the half. The Warriors had their first lead since the opening minutes

Looney drew a foul on Gilgeous-Alexander for pushing off and finished twice inside. Trayce Jackson-Davis, who had been starting, was a DNP as Kyle Anderson soaked up spot minutes as the small-ball center.

“Loon was fantastic,” Kerr said. “Probably the key to the game.”

Golden State Warriors' Draymond Green sits on the bench with teammate Kevon Looney #5 in the second quarter of their NBA game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) — Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green sits on the bench with teammate Kevon Looney #5 in the second quarter of their NBA game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

The lead changed hands four times in the third quarter. A tough take off a baseline drive from Moses Moody evened the score at 84 heading into the fourth.

Curry freed himself from face-guards twice for deep 3s early in the fourth quarter, coming alive at the right time as the Warriors and Thunder went back and forth.

Defensive-minded lineups got stops, opening up the transition game. Wiggins, Schroder and Brandin Podziemski made tough shots in the half court to fend off Gilgeous-Alexander as Curry sat in the middle chunk of the quarter.

Curry returned after Gilgeous-Alexander’s 20th and 21st foul shots of the night. The Warriors led by four with 4:39 left.

Podziemski and Anderson each hit insane fadeaway jumpers at the end of the shot clock, punishing Oklahoma City’s top-ranked defense.

When consecutive baskets from Jalen Williams drew the Thunder within three, Curry drained a 30 footer. On the next possession, he found Wiggins for a corner trey that found the bottom of the net with 1:20 left. The Chase Center crowd impersonated Oracle Arena and erupted after Payton posterized Isaiah Hartenstein.

Payton scaled the mountain. For a night, so did the Warriors.

“To finish a game like that was special,” Curry said of Payton’s slam. “You just want to be able to have a stamp on a game like that. The crowd was going crazy, the whole bench was up. That’s what a team needs when we’ve had a run like we’ve had.”

Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry #30 brings the ball downcourt in the first quarter of their NBA game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)