The Sixers waved the white flag before the game even started. One by one, Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey were all ruled out. Despite that, the depleted Philly squad forced OKC to sweat out a close victory.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32 points and Jalen Williams had 24 to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 118-102 win over a Philadelphia 76ers team missing three All-Stars.

The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the nine-man Philadelphia 76ers 118-102 Tuesday night, securing three straight road wins. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recorded 32 poi

Despite most — this beat writer included — assuming that the Sixers would have their doors blown off by the NBA's best team defense and individual scorer, the nine players donning red, white and blue played with absolutely no expectation that they were going to be on the wrong end of a blowout.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32 points and Jalen Williams had 24 to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 118-102 win over a Philadelphia 76ers team missing three All-Stars on Tuesday night. Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George sat out with injuries as the Sixers continued their slide down the Eastern Conference standings.

The G League lineup for the Philadelphia 76ers made things interesting against the mighty Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32 points on 12-of-15 shooting to guide the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder to a 118-102 win over the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32 points and Jalen Williams had 24 to lead the Oklahoma City ... with 25 points, and Jeff Dowtin Jr. had 18. Thunder: Gilgeous-Alexander ...

In the modern NBA, scoring from the perimeter is as vital as ever. That was a significant driver of the Oklahoma City Thunder's success last season, given that the team finished at the top of the NBA in 3-point accuracy during the 2023-24 campaign.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have been able to fill the void left behind by injuries with Jaylin Williams as the starting big man in this recent stretch. Mark Daigneault has discussed how he has improved and it has shown on the hardwood as well.

While both sides have fully moved on, Kevin Durant's departure from the Oklahoma City Thunder left a scar that's occasionally visible. The shocking 2016 decision to leave OKC for the Golden State Warriors traumatized an entire fanbase as the first time they were introduced to how brutal the NBA business can be.