The Oklahoma City Thunder earned a shorthanded win to get to 50 victories on the season.
The Oklahoma City Thunder moved to 50-15 on the season, maintaining the best record in the entire NBA with a 104-97 win over the Golden State Warriors at home on Saturday night.
The Thunder have now lost just once since the NBA All-Star break and continue to play some of its best basketball of the season despite still being severely undermanned due to injury.
Oklahoma City got off to a strong start in the first half and built a double-digit lead behind balanced scoring and solid defensive pressure. But the Warriors responded with a phenomenal third quarter that cut into the lead and made the game much more competitive heading into the final frame.
The fourth quarter stayed close down the stretch, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered the defining sequence of the night. With the game hanging in the balance, the Thunder superstar scored five points in the final 43 seconds, including a dagger step-back three, and came up with the game-sealing block to shut the door on Golden State.
It was an MVP statement in an otherwise relatively quiet night by his standards.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 27 points, five rebounds and five assists while shooting 6-of-15 from the field. While he did not dominate offensively throughout the entire night, he was at his best when the Thunder needed him most.
The Thunder also received strong contributions from their supporting cast. Isaiah Joe scored 18 points and stayed hot from behind the arc, providing important spacing for Oklahoma City’s offense. Kenrich Williams added 13 points and continued to provide reliable minutes and energy for a short-handed Thunder rotation.
The primary reason the Warriors were able to keep the game close was their work on the glass. Golden State dominated the rebounding battle on both ends of the floor, consistently crashing the boards and generating 16 second-chance points. They also took very good care of the basketball, limiting turnovers and preventing the Thunder from generating the transition opportunities that typically fuel their offense.
That combination of winning the rebounding battle and protecting the ball is usually the blueprint for staying competitive against this Oklahoma City team.
Even so, the Thunder found a way to close the game late.
Now Oklahoma City turns its attention to another marquee matchup as the Thunder prepare to face the Denver Nuggets on Monday night.
OKC will hope to be healthier for that contest. Ajay Mitchell and Jalen Williams could potentially return from injury, while Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso both missed Saturday’s game and have uncertain statuses for the upcoming week. Chet Holmgren also sat out Saturday but is expected to be ready by Monday.
The Thunder will get a day of rest on Sunday before another heavyweight battle against Denver to begin the new week.