Shai Gilgeous-Alexander lifts OKC Thunder past Rockets with heroic third-quarter run

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t just get the superstar treatment from Houston’s defense on Tuesday.

He got the superhero treatment.

On a night when the Thunder rolled to a 112-95 home win, Gilgeous-Alexander faced smothering defense every time he touched the basketball.

He mostly got defended by Dillon Brooks, who’s as much of a supervillain as you’ll find in the NBA. The loudmouthed, abrasive guard even had a menacing smile on his face as he received a hailstorm of boos from the crowd during his pregame introduction.

But like every good superhero, Gilgeous-Alexander showed up when it mattered most.

OKC held a 73-70 lead with 3:32 left in the third quarter, and Gilgeous-Alexander had a quiet 13 points on 5-for-8 shooting from the floor. But the sixth-year guard attacked the rim for an easy finish, which sparked an otherworldly scoring spree.

Gilgeous-Alexander scored nine of the Thunder's next 11 points, and he saved his best for last.

With a handful of seconds left on the shot clock, Gilgeous-Alexander caught an inbound pass along the baseline and heaved a deep 2-pointer. It splashed through the rim as the buzzer sounded, sending the crowd into a frenzy.

"I just take what the defense gives me and trust my work," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "There's moments, and you can feel it, when you've got it going and you should be aggressive. And there's also moments when you need your teammates and you've got to kind of play the game.

"It's something that I notice and I try to work on every game, every day. I've definitely gotten better at it."

Gilgeous-Alexander’s heroic run gave OKC a 12-point lead, which it never relinquished.

He finished with a game-high 31 points, and it was only right that his final bucket came against Brooks.

Gilgeous-Alexander separated himself from the pesky defender with 2:31 left in the game and drilled a stepback 3-pointer. That marked his fourth triple of the night, which is a season high.

"I just keep shooting them, and they're going in," Gilgeous-Alexander said of his hot shooting from deep. "I try to shoot where I'm comfortable shooting. I work on them, and hopefully they keep going in."

OKC (41-17) is now on a six-game winning streak.

Here are three takeaways from the victory:

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Josh Giddey punishes Houston's defense in the first quarter

Josh Giddey did everything but create for himself in OKC’s road win over Houston on Sunday.

The third-year guard stuffed the stat sheet with nine rebounds, five assists and three steals. But he only went 1 for 5 from the floor and finished with what tied for a season-low two points.

It didn’t take long for Giddey to surpass that total on Tuesday, though.

Giddey got OKC on the board at the 10:59 mark when he capitalized on a sagging Alperen Sengun by drilling a mid-range jumper. He then attacked Sengun again on the next possession and sank a floater over Houston's promising big man.

Giddey racked up nine points on 4-for-5 shooting in the first three minutes and change. He finished the night with 14 points on 6-for-11 shooting to go along with seven rebounds and four assists.

It was a strong performance by Giddey, who's trying to gain respect from opposing defenses that view him as an offensive liability. He's often left open or guarded by sagging bigs such as Sengun, which has been an adjustment.

"Obviously, they've put Sengun on (Giddey)," OKC head coach Mark Daigneault said. "At every opportunity, they've done that in every meeting this year. We're evolving as a team in terms of understanding how to attack that. (Giddey) is evolving in terms of that being a part of his package. ...

"He's taking a great approach to it, and I have a lot of respect for that."

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Lu Dort brings consistency on defense despite shooting woes

Lu Dort couldn’t seem to dial it in.

The 6-foot-4 guard was 0 for 4 on the night when he launched an open 3-point attempt late in the second quarter, and he watched as it sailed to the left for an air ball.

But Dort shook off the miss and got back on defense, where he fought through a screen and closed out on Houston’s Jabari Smith Jr. The 6-11 rookie attempted a 3-pointer of his own, but Dort contested the shot enough to force a miss.

Dort has become a more efficient scorer this season. He boasts career highs of 44.7% shooting from the floor and 40.4% shooting from deep.

But on a night like Tuesday, where he scored just three points on 1-for-9 shooting, Dort’s defensive production never wavered. He helped hold Fred VanVleet to five points, and he fared well when matched up against bigger opponents.

"That's the tales of a high-level competitor, not letting one thing affect the rest of their game," Chet Holmgren said of Dort. "(Defense) is something that Lou brings every night. ... He makes a lot tough for a lot of guys."

Dort has been put to the test defensively this season. He has faced the highest individual matchup difficulty in the NBA, according to Crafted NBA.

But Dort continues to thrive as OKC’s defensive Swiss Army knife, even on nights when his shot isn’t falling.

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If Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a superhero, Jalen Williams is the ultimate sidekick

All Jalen Williams was missing was a cape.

That would've completed the look for the second-year forward, who caught a bounce pass from Giddey early in the fourth quarter and took flight. Houston's defenders were smart enough to clear the runway, as Williams soared through the air for a one-handed slam.

Even on a night when Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 31 points, Williams found a way to shine. He finished with 24 points, five rebounds and five assists.

Williams continues to establish himself as a strong second scoring option for OKC. He's averaging 19.1 points per game on 54.1% shooting from the floor and 45% shooting from deep.

More: Mussatto's Minutes: Why Josh Giddey should stay in Thunder starting lineup

Thunder at Spurs

TIPOFF: 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio (Bally Sports Oklahoma)

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC Thunder roars past Rockets as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander takes over