Thunder notch 50 wins, endure injuries, and witness MVP heroics in a hard-fought victory over the Warriors.
The Oklahoma City Thunder beat their former nemesis the Golden State Warriors by a final count of 104-97 on Saturday night.
The game was nationally televised on ABC in a primetime 7:30pm central tip. It wasn't the prettiest or easiest win, but with the San Antonio Spurs nipping at their heels in the Western Conference, Oklahoma City will take any victory in any fashion.
Due to multiple injuries to star players on both sides, the battle between champions of yesteryear versus the champions of today was not quite the marquee matchup the suits at The Alphabet Network had planned. The Warriors were without living legend Steph Curry and All-Star Jimmy Butler and the Thunder were missing All-Stars Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren.
Even still, the game still provided fans of the defending champs with a few fun storylines.
1. Thunder win 50 games. Taking down the Warriors gave OKC a 50-15 record on the season. The milestone marks the third straight season the Thunder have finished with 50 or more wins. Even more impressive, it's the tenth time since 2010 that Oklahoma City has notched a 50 win (or equivalent due to shortened seasons) season. That is most in the NBA over this time period. If OKC can record 10 or more wins the rest of the way, they will finish with back to back 60 win seasons.
2. OKC continue to excel despite injuries. In addition to Holmgren and Williams, the Thunder were also without Isaiah Hartenstein, Alex Caruso, Ajay Mitchell and, of course, Thomas Sorber against Golden State. Oklahoma City fans have been anxiously waiting for the team to get fully healthy for going on, well, pretty much the entire season. But just as the story has been all year, Mark Daigneault's squad found a way to win in the face of adversity. Other teams in the league may also be going through some health issues, but no other team is succeeding at the same rate in the face of injury misfortune as the Thunder.
3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander clutch heroics. The Warriors were laser focused on slowing down the reigning MVP. Steve Kerr sent double teams at Gilgeous-Alexander from the opening tip until the final buzzer. And with no other healthy primary shot creators or ball handlers, the effects of all the swarming bodies made Gilgeous-Alexander's typical otherworldly efficiency a bit more mortal. But the league's Most Valuable Player proved why he's the odds on favorite to win the trophy again this season in crunch time. 42 seconds on the clock. OKC up by only 2 points. The Warriors in the midst of a late comeback. Former Defensive Player of the Year Draymond Green defending. And Shai Gilgeous-Alexander takes a sidestep to his right and buries a dagger 3 pointer. Thunder go up 102-97. The MVP called game.