The Oklahoma City Thunder improved to 2-0 this season with a 114-95 win over the Chicago Bulls.

The Thunder forced 24 turnovers from the Bulls while committing just 10 turnovers of their own, giving them valuable extra possessions on a night where they shot 8 of 39 (20.5%) from downtown.

Chicago shot just 32 of 92 (34.8%) from the field and 15 of 53 (28.3%) on three-pointers the night after dropping 133 points in Milwaukee, a testament to the Thunder's strong perimeter defense.

Jalen Williams collected a game-high 24 points, nine rebounds and eight assists after a slow start to the game.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 23 points in three quarters, hitting nine of his 21 field goal attempts and two of his nine triples. He added eight rebounds, four steals and two assists.

Chet Holmgren posted his second straight double-double, scoring 21 points on 8-for-18 shooting and grabbing 16 rebounds. He missed all five 3-point attempts after an identical 0-for-5 performance in the season opener.

The packed crowd at the United Center cheered a video tribute to Alex Caruso during the game's first timeout, his first appearance in Chicago. Caruso played three seasons in a Bulls uniform, appearing on consecutive All-Defensive teams from 2022 to 2024.

“I gave everything I could to win games and make the city proud, the organization proud,” Caruso said in the pregame press release. “I was grateful for my time (in Chicago). I think it helped me grow as a player and the relationships I built were very meaningful and impactful. …Being back here in different colors still feels a little strange.” .”

Caruso scored his first Thunder points with a left-field 3-pointer four minutes into the second quarter. He scored three points on 1-for-5 shooting, two rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks.

The Thunder started with regulars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams and Luguentz Dort, with Cason Wallace replacing Isaiah Joe from the season opener.

Oklahoma City forced five Bulls turnovers in the first five minutes. After Gilgeous-Alexander's second early steal, Wallace threw a left-handed transition dunk over Zach LaVine to give the Thunder an 11-7 lead.

Both teams had shot a combined 10 of 41 from the field when Gilgeous-Alexander made his first field goal, a layup to Coby White that put Oklahoma City ahead 19-14.

Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams shot 3 of 12 and missed all four 3-point attempts in the first quarter. The Thunder defense held Chicago to six field goals in the first quarter and scored 21 points, two nights after allowing just 36 points in the second half against the Nuggets.

Midway through the second quarter, Holmgren went down with his left thigh after a foul by Bulls center Nikola Vucevic, but made both resulting free throws and stayed in the game. Holmgren made a contested layup on the next possession, increasing his total to nine points and five rebounds.

The Thunder went on a 15-2 run after Vucevic hit his second triple of the night. Gilgeous-Alexander made a left-handed layup and a 3-pointer from the top, and Aaron Wiggins made a smooth transition spin move and a layup.

A Holmgren putback dunk and a Williams pull-up jumper with 0.9 seconds left gave Oklahoma City a comfortable 59-39 halftime lead. Gilgeous-Alexander made all four field goal attempts in the second quarter, giving him 17 first-half points with a game-high +20 plus-minus.

Holmgren hit a coast-to-coast dunk early in the second half, although the Thunder continued to struggle shooting. They missed their first six 3-point attempts after halftime until Williams hit a right wing 3-pointer with 3:41 left in the third quarter.

Ousmane Dieng returned a putback layup attempt from Jalen Smith to end the period, which prompted another transition layup from Wiggins. Dieng began the season as the Thunder's backup center to Holmgren, providing the team with quality defense in the absence of Isaiah Hartenstein. Oklahoma City led 88-65 after three quarters.

Dieng scored a layup against Smith and got an Ajay Mitchell dime on a breakaway dunk, his first four points of the game. The Thunder maintained their lead through Holmgren and Williams as they each exceeded 20 points without Gilgeous-Alexander checking back in.

The Thunder play their home opener against the Atlanta Hawks tomorrow night at 6:00 PM CST.

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