The Oklahoma City Thunder took down the Golden State Warriors 104-97 at Paycom Center on Saturday in a clash between undermanned teams. Both the Thunder and the Warriors were missing multiple starters, and while they managed to put on a show in the first half, the game got rather ugly down the stretch.
The teams combined to score just 32 points in the fourth quarter, with the Thunder offense stuck in quicksand. That allowed the Warriors to get within two points of the hosts in the closing stages, but they were unable to push on and pull off the upset.
The Thunder, who were without the likes of Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Alex Caruso, and Isaiah Hartenstein, improved to 50-15 with this win and are the first team this season to get to 50 wins. Here is a look at how they fared on the night.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: B+
Game Stats: 27 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 4 TOV, 6-15 FG, 1-4 3PT, 14-15 FT, 35 MIN
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was far from his sizzling best in this one, but still hit the biggest shot of the night. With the Thunder clinging to a 99-97 lead with less than a minute remaining, Gilgeous-Alexander drilled a three-pointer over Draymond Green to give his team some much-needed breathing space.
It’s the sign of a great player that they can step up when their team needs them most, even when they haven’t had the best of nights, and that was exactly what Gilgeous-Alexander did here. The Canadian also craftily got to the free-throw line seemingly at will, and that was crucial on a night like this.
As for the defensive end, Gilgeous-Alexander also got the game-sealing block on Gui Santos in the final seconds. It wasn’t pretty, but it was enough.
Kenrich Williams: B
Game Stats: 13 PTS, 7 REB, 1 AST, 5-9 FG, 2-4 3PT, 1-1 FT, 19 MIN
With so many players missing, the Thunder were going to need contributions from unlikely sources, and Kenrich Williams delivered in the first half. Williams was the Thunder’s leading scorer at halftime with 13 points, which was one more than Gilgeous-Alexander.
Williams had the hot hand, but he would not even attempt a shot in the second half. While there were no offensive contributions of note from the veteran, he did manage to get a crucial stop on Kristaps Porzingis in the final minute. Williams had a few good defensive possessions against Porzingis in this one and was active on the glass as well. It was a fine showing in all.
Isaiah Joe: B
Game Stats: 18 PTS, 4 REB, 3 AST, 5-12 FG, 2-7 3PT, 6-6 FT, 35 MIN
Isaiah Joe was another who got off to a fast start here with eight points in the first quarter. Joe would cool down a bit afterward, going 2-7 from the field after halftime. Like Gilgeous-Alexander, though, he managed to remain effective by getting to the free-throw line. Unlike many of his teammates, he managed to take care of the ball as well, as he was the only starter without a turnover.
Cason Wallace: B
Game Stats: 9 PTS, 2 AST, 4 STL, 3 TOV, 4-8 FG, 1-3 3PT, 31 MIN
Cason Wallace is establishing himself as one of the best defenders in the NBA, and he was causing havoc here as well. Wallace had four steals against the New York Knicks on Wednesday and managed to repeat that feat against the Warriors. He was tasked with guarding Porzingis at times as well, with the Thunder missing players in their frontcourt, and he did a solid job of it.
Jared McCain: B
Game Stats: 9 PTS, 2 REB, 1 AST, 3-7 FG, 3-6 3PT, 13 MIN
Jared McCain, rather surprisingly, got very little playing time here despite the Thunder being shorthanded. McCain had nine points in nine minutes in the first half, but barely got on the court after halftime. With how the Thunder were struggling on offense, he perhaps should have been out there longer.
Jaylin Williams: B-
Game Stats: 9 PTS, 14 REB, 4 AST, 6 TOV, 3-7 FG, 3-6 3PT, 33 MIN
Jaylin Williams would have gotten a much better grade in this one if not for those six turnovers. It was the Thunder constantly coughing up the ball that allowed the Warriors to come back in this one.
Williams set an unwanted season-high for turnovers, but he did well on the glass, especially in the fourth quarter. The Warriors had hauled in 14 offensive rebounds through three quarters, but only got one in the fourth. Williams played his part in that, as he grabbed five defensive rebounds in the period. This game could have ended differently had the Warriors snagged a couple more.
Aaron Wiggins: C+
Game Stats: 9 PTS, 4 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL, 3-9 FG, 1-5 3PT, 2-2 FT, 29 MIN
Aaron Wiggins did a bit of everything for the Thunder here. Wiggins was active on the glass, was solid as a playmaker, and had some good defensive possessions. He was inefficient from the field, but fortunately for the Thunder, made his only three-pointer in the fourth quarter when they desperately needed offense from anywhere.
Lu Dort: C
Game Stats: 8 PTS, 5 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 1 TOV, 3-10 FG, 2-7 3PT, 34 MIN
Lu Dort had a fine showing on defense, as always, but he was inefficient on offense yet again. Those threes just aren’t falling on a consistent basis for Dort, who was 2-2 in the first half, but 0-5 after the break. The Thunder will be hoping he can rediscover his shooting touch between now and the playoffs.
Brooks Barnhizer: C
Game Stats: 2 PTS, 1 REB, 2 AST, 1-1 FG, 12 MIN
All the absentees meant Brooks Barnhizer got an extended run. Barnhizer had a couple of assists and finally scored points after failing to do so in his last four outings.
