Jared McCain returns to Philly as Thunder extend dominant win streak to 12, showcasing offensive firepower and crucial player rest.
It was now Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jared McCain’s return to Philadelphia on Monday night as he took on the 76ers for the first time in his NBA career with the Sixers now an opponent. And with Philadelphia missing basically its entire high-end core outside of VJ Edgecombe, this one turned into a lopsided affair pretty early.
The Oklahoma City Thunder had another one of those games where Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did enough through three quarters that he did not need to play in the fourth. Outside of Edgecombe scoring 35 points as the rookie continued his phenomenal season in Philadelphia, it was all OKC in this contest.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 22 points in 29 minutes on 9-of-13 shooting. Chet Holmgren added 17 points of his own. Jalen Williams made his return and had 18 points in his first game in five weeks. McCain scored 13 points in his return, while Isaiah Hartenstein recorded a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
Overall, the Thunder just dominated in this 123-103 victory. Oklahoma City shot better than 50% from the field, 90% from the free throw line, and 40% from beyond the arc. It was just an ultra-efficient shooting night for the Thunder as a whole.
It was OKC’s 12th consecutive victory, as the team is playing some of its best basketball of the season. There’s only three weeks left in the season, so every game matters with how tight the Western Conference standings are.
Key players also got much-needed rest late in the game, which is important because Oklahoma City’s next game is in Boston against the Celtics, and that will be an extremely difficult contest.