Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points and Oklahoma City beat the Chicago Bulls 124-104 in their season opener Wednesday night.
Fourth in the NBA in scoring last season, Gilgeous-Alexander keyed a 12-0 run late in the third quarter that broke open a one-point game. He also had 10 of Oklahoma City's 30 assists.
Williams and Josh Giddey each scored 16 for the Thunder.
Chet Holmgren had 11 points in his long-awaited NBA debut. Selected with the No. 2 pick in the 2022 draft, the 7-foot-1 forward/center from Gonzaga missed last season because of a foot injury.
All five starters hit two 3-pointers while attempting at least three, and the Thunder made 19 of 39 from beyond the arc. Led by Isaiah Joe's 14 points, Oklahoma City’s reserves outscored Chicago’s 42-34.
DeMar DeRozan scored 20 for the Bulls, who decided to have a players meeting after the game.
Zach LaVine scored all of his 16 points in the second half. He finished 4 of 16 from the field after missing all five shots while committing four turnovers and three fouls through the first two quarters.
Coby White scored 15, and Vucevic added 11 points and nine rebounds.
Gilgeous-Alexander had seven points in a 12-0 run late in the third quarter. He finished it with a reverse layup to make it 91-78. Cason Wallace nailed a pull-up jumper and a 3-pointer during the spurt.
It was 91-84 early in the fourth before the Thunder reeled off 11 straight points. Joe made back-to-back 3s and - after Wallace connected from beyond the arc - scored on a layup to make it 102-84 with about 10 minutes remaining.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 17 and Williams added 14 points as Oklahoma City grabbed a 61-55 halftime lead.
The Thunder led 50-49 late in the second quarter when the Bulls' Torrey Craig hit the side of the backboard on a wide-open corner 3. Giddey made a layup and a 3, and after a free throw by White, Holmgren nailed a 3 to make it an eight-point game with about a minute left in the half.
The Bulls' Andre Drummond had a poster-worthy dunk over Holmgren in the second quarter and made him go down to his knees moments later with a wicked crossover on a fast-break layup.
The Bulls host the Toronto Raptors on Friday.
