OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Chet Holmgren scored 21 points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 20 and the Oklahoma City Thunder had a season-high point total to rout the Utah Jazz 146-111 on Sunday night.
Gilgeous-Alexander sat out the fourth quarter with the Thunder in firm control. He extended his record streak of games with at least 20 points to 138.
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Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jalen Williams (8) looks to pass the ball away from Utah Jazz guard John Konchar (55) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Brothers Utah Jazz forward Cody Williams (5) and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jalen Williams talk after an NBA basketball game Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Utah Jazz forward Cody Williams (5) passes the ball away from Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) looks to go to the basket against Utah Jazz guard Kennedy Chandler (0) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Cason Wallace scored 16 points and Jalen Williams added 15 for the Thunder, who increased their lead over the San Antonio Spurs to three games with four remaining in the race for the top seed in the playoffs. Oklahoma City has won five straight and 17 of 18.
The Thunder shot 58.1% from the field overall and made 24 of 45 3-pointers. This shooting spree came three nights after Oklahoma City blew out the Los Angeles Lakers 139-96.
Oklahoma City has dominated while holding off the Spurs in the standings. The Thunder's last home loss was Feb. 12 against Milwaukee. Their last home loss with Gilgeous-Alexander in the lineup was Jan. 25 against Toronto.
Brice Sensabaugh scored 34 points and Kyle Filipowski added 20 points and 14 rebounds for Utah, which lost its ninth straight.
Cody Williams, Jalen Williams' brother, started for the Jazz and finished with eight points and five rebounds.
Holmgren's nasty baseline dunk on Filipowski gave the Thunder a 59-39 lead in the second quarter.
Oklahoma City's Cason Wallace missed a fast break dunk late in the first half, but Jalen Williams caught the ball on the way down and dunked it with two hands to put the Thunder up 72-52.
The Thunder shot 63% from the field in the first half to take a 75-54 lead at the break.
Oklahoma City extended that margin to 108-81 at the end of the third quarter, and the starters sat out the fourth.
Jazz: At New Orleans on Tuesday night.
Thunder: At the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jalen Williams (8) looks to pass the ball away from Utah Jazz guard John Konchar (55) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Brothers Utah Jazz forward Cody Williams (5) and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jalen Williams talk after an NBA basketball game Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Utah Jazz forward Cody Williams (5) passes the ball away from Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) looks to go to the basket against Utah Jazz guard Kennedy Chandler (0) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Stephen Curry's pregame warmup is always a must-see show at Chase Center long before the main event, and the cheers were extra loud for his latest session now that he's finally healthy and back.
Curry ran out to the floor greeted by a warm ovation and was set to play about 25 minutes against Houston on Sunday night in his return from a two-plus-month absence because of a right knee injury.
Coach Steve Kerr said before the game that it's still unclear how many of the remaining games Curry will play given Golden State has five contests in eight days with a back-to-back the rest of the way — and the expectation is he wouldn't play on consecutive nights.
“We're going to manage it accordingly. The plan for tonight would be shorter bursts and we'll see on the minutes,” Kerr said. “But first game back he's not playing 48 minutes.”
The schedule will be determined by how Curry feels and input from Vice President of Player Health and Performance Rick Celebrini.
Rockets coach Ime Udoka knew Houston would have its hands full with No. 30 back.
“One of the best movers in the game. Four other guys at a time are concentrated on getting shots for him, so that’s not just one guy, and then does a good job in general with all the screens, off-ball actions, and pick-and-rolls,” Udoka said. "It’s a team effort. We need to be locked in on that, and obviously we’ve seen him enough and know some things that have hurt us in the past, and we need to prepare for that with him coming back.”
Curry scrimmaged several times this past week to test his injured right knee, and he said Saturday it was never a consideration to shut it down for the rest of the season. Kerr hoped to have Curry and younger brother Seth finally play together.
Kerr had said Saturday that Curry was expected to play for the first time since Jan. 30 against Detroit, though the Warriors listed him as questionable.
"He’s scheduled to play," Kerr said pregame Sunday.
After Saturday's practice, Curry said dealing with the pain is part of his “new normal” and the offseason will require a significant reset.
The 38-year-old Curry initially expected to be playing right after the All-Star break, but the recovery was prolonged by some difficult moments when he would feel good, push hard then pay for it the following day.
Curry leads the Warriors in scoring with 27.2 points per game and it has been frustrating.
The Warriors (36-41) had lost three straight games overall and were 13-25 this season without Curry — including 9-18 during this stretch with him sidelined by patellofemoral pain syndrome.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA
Fans watch as Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, foreground, warms up before an NBA basketball game against the Houston Rockets, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry warms up before an NBA basketball game against the Houston Rockets, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry warms up before an NBA basketball game against the Houston Rockets, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry warms up before an NBA basketball game against the Houston Rockets, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Golden State Warriors forward Gui Santos, from left, reacts from the sideline with Quinten Post, Seth Curry, Will Richard and Stephen Curry during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Cleveland Cavaliers in San Francisco, Thursday, April 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, left, smiles while shaking hands with Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell after an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Thursday, April 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Injured Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, middle, smiles while talking with Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden (1) and guard Donovan Mitchell after an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Thursday, April 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
