Wallace matches career high to help Thunder capture 5th win in 6 games

TORONTO (AP) — Cason Wallace matched his career high with 27 points, Isaiah Joe had 22, and the short-handed Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Toronto Raptors 116-107 on Tuesday night for their fifth win in six games.

Alex Caruso scored 16 points, Luguentz Dort had 15 and Isaiah Hartenstein 11 as the NBA-leading Thunder won their third straight in Toronto.

Oklahoma City is an NBA-best 21-7 on the road.

Canadian star and reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remained sidelined for the Thunder because of an abdominal strain. He didn’t travel with the team on its lone regular-season visit to Canada.

In his place, Wallace provided his second straight 20-point game, adding six assists and eight rebounds.

Oklahoma City was also without Ajay Mitchell (abdominal strain) and Jalen Williams (strained right hamstring). Caruso returned after missing Sunday’s home win over Cleveland because of a sprained left ankle.

RJ Barrett scored 21 points and Immanuel Quickley and Ja’Kobe Walter each had 17 but the Raptors lost for the first time in three games.

Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram each scored 15 points and Jamal Shead added 13.

Oklahoma City led 96-71 with 1:55 remaining in the third quarter before Toronto battled back, tying it 101-101 on Shead’s 3-pointer with 4:06 to play.

After the Thunder missed 14 of their first 15 field-goal attempts in the fourth, Wallace responded to Shead’s 3 by making back-to-back shots, then forcing a steal and feeding Joe for a 3.

Toronto’s Jakob Poeltl (lower back) sat out on the first night of a back-to-back. The Raptors host Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs on Wednesday night.

Up next

Thunder: At Detroit on Wednesday night.

Raptors: Host San Antonio on Wednesday night.

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