Chet Holmgren and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led a balanced attack with 26 and 23 points, respectively, and Isaiah Hartenstein registered a career-high-tying four steals in a solid all-around game as the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder handed New Orleans Pelicans interim coach James Borrego a second straight defeat, 126-109 on Monday night.
Hartenstein complemented his four steals with 16 points, seven rebounds, six assists and a block for the Thunder, who won their sixth in a row and 14th in 15 outings this season.
Each of the six victories in the current Oklahoma City winning streak have been by double-digit margins. The Thunder also had a 31-point home win over the Pelicans at the start of November.
Lu Dort (17), Isaiah Joe (14) and Ajay Mitchell (11) also scored in double figures for Oklahoma City, which ran out to a 13-2 lead in the game’s third minute and coasted home. Dort tipped off the rout with consecutive 3-pointers in the opening 50 seconds.
The Thunder exploded for 49 points in the first period, with Dort bombing in four 3-pointers and Gilgeous-Alexander going 7-for-7 at the free-throw line among 11 points.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with a game-high eight assists and three steals.
Down by 25 points after one period and seeking to end a five-game losing streak, New Orleans rallied to within 69-56 at halftime. But Holmgren opened the third period with a 3-pointer and the Thunder never looked back.
The defending champs shot 49.4% overall and outscored the hosts 51-36 on 3-pointers, with Dort (four), Joe (four), Holmgren (three) and Gilgeous-Alexander (three) accounting for 14 of the team’s 17 successes from deep.
Holmgren shot 10-for-14 overall and also found time for a game-high nine rebounds. Hartenstein converted seven of his 10 field goal attempts.
Hitting nine of his 16 shots, rookie Jeremiah Fears paced the Pelicans with 24 points.
Trey Murphy added 18, Micah Peavy 16, Jordan Hawkins 11 and Karlo Matkovic 10 for New Orleans, which fired coach Willie Green on Saturday after a 2-10 start. Derik Queen was the Pelicans’ top rebounder with eight to go with nine points.
