Oklahoma City Thunder vs New York Knicks: Did Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 31 free throws swing it?

The Oklahoma City Thunder moved to 59-16 after a 111-100 result over the the Knicks, who came in at 48-27, at 7:30 PM EDT at the Paycom Center. The Oklahoma City Thunder vs New York Knicks final score reflected OKC’s 44:56 edge in time leading and a 13-point biggest lead in a game with 4 ties and 2 lead changes.

First quarter

The Thunder opened with a 26-23 quarter behind a 44-33 field goal split that began tilting toward Oklahoma City’s 47 percent night. The Knicks kept the margin tight with 15 made 3-pointers on 43 percent, while OKC generated 19 points off 19 New York turnovers to start shaping the turnover battle.

Second quarter

The Thunder took the second quarter 27-29, and the Knicks’ 30 paint points and 15 offensive rebounds helped New York stay connected through the half. OKC’s 21 assists and 1.62 assist-to-turnover ratio showed up in half-court execution, and the bench added 25 points as the rotation kept scoring pressure on the Knicks.

Third quarter

The Thunder won the third quarter 31-26 as the interior game produced 44 points in the paint on 58 percent shooting inside. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led OKC with 30 points, and the Thunder’s 38 free throw attempts at 82 percent created a scoring lane that New York could not fully close.

Fourth quarter

The Thunder finished with a 27-22 fourth quarter as second-chance production reached 20 points on 70 percent of second-chance attempts. Chet Holmgren posted 16 points and 9 rebounds, Isaiah Hartenstein collected 13 rebounds, and Jalen Williams added 22 points while the Knicks’ 19 assists and 4 fast-break points did not match OKC’s 15 fast-break points.

What it means

The Oklahoma City Thunder vs New York Knicks result analysis starts with OKC holding New York to 100 points while forcing 19 turnovers and recording 10 steals. The Oklahoma City Thunder match rating hangs on 31 made free throws, 12 offensive rebounds, and 60 percent true shooting, while the Knicks logged 50 total rebounds and 56 percent true shooting in the loss.

Next on the schedule

The post-game thoughts Oklahoma City Thunder turn to the Detroit Pistons at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on 3/30/2026 at 9:30 PM EDT, with the broadcast set for Peacock. Catch the game, keep tabs on OKC’s box score trends, and share this article with other Thunder fans.