By TONY SELLARS The Associated Press OKLAHOMA CITY — The Clippers are eagerly awaiting the season debut of their biggest star. They played Thursday night without the other one. The short-handed Clippers started strong, but they could not maintain that for four quarters and were no match for the red-hot Oklahoma City Thunder. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 29 points and the Thunder won their 13th consecutive regular-season game, handing the Clippers a 116-98 defeat. The Clippers led 40-24 with 8:38 left in the first half before the Thunder pulled within 52-48 by halftime. Shaking off a cold shooting first half, the Thunder exploded for 42 third-quarter points and an 18-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. Gilgeous-Alexander also had a game-high eight assists for the Thunder, who are 28-5 and have won 17 of their last 18 regular-season games. He did not play in the fourth quarter. Jalen Williams scored 18 points and Isaiah Hartenstein added 11 points and nine rebounds for Oklahoma City. Amir Coffey had 26 points to lead the Clippers (19-15), who scratched Harden before the game with right groin soreness. It was just the second game Harden has missed this season – both losses. Clippers guard Norman Powell, who came into the game averaging a career-high 24.3 points per game, missed his first nine shots and didn’t get a basket until eight minutes remained, finishing with six points on 1-of-11 shooting (0 for 5 from 3-point range) and six of the team’s 19 turnovers. Mo Bamba had 12 points and eight rebounds, while Ivica Zubac had 11 points and nine rebounds. Kevin Porter Jr. had 11 points, and Jordan Miller added 10. After shooting just 31% in the first half, the Thunder wound up at an even 50% for the game and added to their league-leading steal total with 11 takeaways as their depth eventually overwhelmed the short-handed Clippers. Williams hit a runner at the halftime buzzer to cut the Clippers’ lead to four, then scored the first six points of the second half to jumpstart a 23-5 run that put the Thunder in control. The Thunder, leading the NBA in points off turnovers, cranked up the heat defensively in the third quarter. Oklahoma City forced seven turnovers in the period and turned those into 17 points on the other end to help them outscore the Clippers 42-20 in the frame. The Thunder scored 31 total points off turnovers by the time the game was over. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 15 points in the third, including six free throws. He finished 9 for 17 from the floor and made all nine of his free throws. While the Clippers got off to a hot start offensively, making seven of their first 10 shots, Oklahoma City was cold, especially from long range. Related Articles Clippers | Cold-shooting Clippers routed by Victor Wembanyama, Spurs Clippers | Alexander: Intuit Dome is unique, yet follows an LA tradition Clippers | Powell, Harden rally Clippers past struggling Pelicans Clippers | Clippers hit the road looking to win, regardless of who’s on the court Clippers | Alexander: Clippers successfully bide time while waiting for Kawhi The Thunder sank just one of nine shots from 3-point range in the first quarter as the Clippers finished the period with a 10-2 run to take an eight-point lead into the second. The Clippers continued to find success in the second, stretching their run to 20-4 to open their 16-point lead. But just as the Thunder did against Minnesota on Tuesday, when Oklahoma City cut a 12-point second-quarter deficit in half by halftime, the Thunder entered the third quarter with some momentum. The Thunder’s 13 straight wins is the longest winning streak since the franchise moved from Seattle to Oklahoma City. Before becoming the Thunder in 2008, a Sonics team that went 64-18 notched 14 consecutive wins during the 1995-96 season. UP NEXT The Clippers return home to host Atlanta on Saturday night, a game that is expected to be Kawhi Leonard’s long-awaited regular-season debut.