Gilgeous-Alexander's buzzer-beater forced OT. Thunder survived foul disparity and poor shooting for a much-needed, albeit messy, victory.
As the Oklahoma City Thunder continued to navigate the biggest slump of the season, OKC hosted the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night looking to get back on track after consecutive losses on Sunday and Monday to teams the Thunder simply should not have dropped games to. And while OKC escaped with a 129-125 overtime win over Utah, it was not the type of performance to take much from in a positive sense.
Looking at the box score, the stars still shined bright. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 46 points, including 17 in the fourth quarter and overtime, and hit the mid-range jumper at the buzzer to send the game into OT. Chet Holmgren added 23 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks, and five offensive boards, none bigger than the putback dunk late in overtime to extend the Thunder’s lead. Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell chipped in 17 and 16 points, respectively, but it was a messy night overall.
The Thunder once again got crushed on the glass, and the offense never found a real rhythm from the perimeter. OKC shot just 18.4% from beyond the arc, and if there was one clear reason the Thunder survived, it was getting to the free-throw line. The whistle was favorable for Oklahoma City on Wednesday night, as the Thunder earned 42 trips to the stripe and ultimately rode that edge over the finish line. This was a Jazz team the Thunder should have handled by double digits if OKC was playing anything close to its standard, but at this point in the season, with the way the Thunder has looked and the rut the group is fighting through, a win is a win, even when it comes ugly.
Oklahoma City will try to build on it, if you can even call it momentum, heading into a road matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night.