Ajay Mitchell scores career-high 30 as short-handed Thunder beat Suns 125-114 to stay unbeaten

Final: Thunder 125, Suns 114. Ajay Mitchell scored a career-high 30 points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 26 and the short-handed Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Phoenix Suns at Paycom Center on Monday night, Oct. 26, to stay perfect at 4-0.

The win came a night after Oklahoma City lost two starters. Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace were hurt in Sunday’s 108-101 win over the Clippers, and both will need surgery that could end their seasons, according to the Associated Press. That’s why this game drew wide attention: it was the first look at how Oklahoma City would cope without them.

Ajay Mitchell steps in and takes over

Mitchell started in Williams’ place and set the tone early with 18 points in the first half. He finished 10-for-16 from the field and 9-for-10 at the free-throw line in about 25 minutes, adding five assists, per the NBA.com box score.

Jared McCain, who started for Wallace, scored 18 points, including 10 before halftime, and hit four of his seven 3-point attempts. Isaiah Hartenstein had 15 points and 13 rebounds.

Oklahoma City led 67-53 at halftime, and the lead grew to 89-72 on a McCain 3-pointer with three minutes left in the third quarter. Phoenix won the fourth quarter 29-26 but never got close enough to threaten.

Score by quarter

Even more injuries for Oklahoma City

The Thunder were already without big man Chet Holmgren, who sat out with patellar tendinitis in his right knee, the AP reported. Then reserve guard Alex Caruso, who was playing extended minutes because of the other absences, was helped to the locker room late in the second quarter with a sprained right ankle after colliding with another player. He did not return. Caruso had nine points, all on 3-pointers, before leaving.

No timeline for Caruso or Holmgren was included in the game reports.

Player stats: who stood out

Thunder

• Ajay Mitchell: 30 points (career high), 5 assists, 10-of-16 shooting
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 26 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 11-of-18 shooting
• Jared McCain: 18 points, 4 assists
• Isaiah Hartenstein: 15 points, 13 rebounds
• Aday Mara: 11 points, 10 rebounds off the bench

Suns

• Jalen Green: 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting
• Dillon Brooks: 19 points, 5 assists
• Miles Bridges: 17 points, 8 rebounds
• Khaman Maluach: 12 points, 7 rebounds
• Devin Booker: 3 points on 1-of-7 shooting, 7 assists

Booker’s quiet night stood out: the Suns’ star guard was held to a single field goal, though he still handed out a team-high seven assists.

How the game was decided

The box score points to a few clear edges for Oklahoma City:

• Efficiency: the Thunder shot 51.2% from the field to Phoenix’s 42.9%.
• Free throws: Oklahoma City made 25 of 29; Phoenix made 18 of 25.
• Rebounding: the Thunder won the glass 57-49.

Phoenix made more 3-pointers (18 to 12) but needed 50 attempts to get there.

What’s next

• Thunder (4-0): at the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night.
• Suns (1-2): host the Denver Nuggets on Friday night.

For Oklahoma City, the bigger story will be the medical updates. With Williams and Wallace facing surgery, Holmgren dealing with knee tendinitis and Caruso’s ankle now a question, Mitchell and McCain could be in for heavy minutes for a while.

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