Thunder 145, Bulls 117: Josh Giddey's return to OKC was spoiled. The Thunder destroyed the Bulls in a game where they led by as many as 43 points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a modest 27 points and 12 rebounds as he sat out another fourth quarter.

Giddey is thriving as a floor general on the third-fastest team in the league, and Chicago (33-42) is 11-9 since the All-Star break. It's now 10th in the East with a strong chance of reaching the play-in tournament.

The Bulls knew they couldn't just stroll into Oklahoma City with the Thunder on a nine-game winning streak, but they didn't expect to be dominated 145-117, either.

The Bulls were matched up against the league's top team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and were certainly outmatched. Oklahoma City jumped out to a 33-point lead at halftime and even

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 27 points and 12 assists in just 27 minutes, and the Oklahoma City Thunder rolled to a 145-117 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Monday night for their 10th straight victory.

The Thunder have the best record in the NBA and have won nine straight games. The Bulls are currently 19-18 on the road with a point differential of -2, while the Thunder have an 8-2 record in their last ten games at home.

In fact, two former lottery picks now on the Bulls, point guards Lonzo Ball (the No. 2 pick by his hometown Los Angeles Lakers in the 2017 NBA Draft) and Josh Giddey (the No. 6 selection by the Thunder in the 2021 NBA Draft), are both on Chicago's injury report.

The Thunder (62-12) have won nine in a row. They enjoyed a blowout win over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had an efficient 33 points. OKC is now 27-1 against the East this season and on the verge of another historical marker.

The Oklahoma City Thunder may be without their star forward Chet Holmgren once again in Monday's game against the Chicago Bulls.