Thunder cruise past Magic, improving to 7-0

Jalen Williams scored 23 points in a 102-86 win over the Orlando Magic on Monday in Oklahoma City, helping keep the Oklahoma City Thunder undefeated.

The Thunder improved to 7-0, extending their best start since moving to Oklahoma City in 2008. Cleveland (8-0) is the only other team currently undefeated. The Thunder's seven wins have come by an average of 17.4 points, with none coming closer than 12 points.

The Magic have lost four straight games and five of their last six.

Oklahoma City led from the start and Orlando never got closer than 10 points after the first quarter. The Magic kept the game within reach in the second half, scoring seven straight points to get within 64-53 midway through the third quarter.

The Thunder soon regained control and closed the third with a 20-5 run that nearly put the game away. That stretch included three consecutive 3-pointers from Isaiah Joe – all assisted by Alex Caruso – in a span of 1:04, making the score 82-58 at the 1:15 mark.

Oklahoma City got off to a fast start, scoring a goal early in the game and steadily increasing their lead in the first game.

Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander didn't attempt a shot until nearly nine minutes into the game, but still made an early impact with seven assists in the first quarter, a career high for a quarter.

Gilgeous-Alexander's first-quarter assists went to six different players, leading to four 3-pointers. Williams got two assists from Gilgeous-Alexander and had 14 points in Oklahoma City's 39-point first quarter.

The Thunder only scored 19 points in the second quarter, but Orlando couldn't get close to leading with just 17 points.

Gilgeous-Alexander finished the game with 21 points and nine assists, while Chet Holmgren contributed 14 points and nine rebounds.

Franz Wagner had 22 points to lead Orlando, while Jalen Suggs added 19.

The Magic shot just 35.4 percent from the floor, their second straight shooting performance below 40 percent. Orlando was just 5 of 34 (14.7 percent) from beyond the arc.

Goga Bitadze, who had missed the last five games with a left foot injury, returned to the Magic's starting lineup and scored 11 points with nine rebounds in 27 minutes of play. Wendell Carter missed the game for Orlando after suffering a plantar fascia strain in his left foot in Sunday's loss to Dallas.

–Field level media