Stiles Points: OKC Thunder Blowout Loss Not Cause for Concern

The Oklahoma City Thunder fell to the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday in blowout fashion but that should not be cause for concern in Bricktown.

The Oklahoma City Thunder fell to the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday in blowout fashion. As some panic about the Thunder’s status among NBA contenders, this was just the team’s eighth double-digit loss and third time losing by 20-plus points during the 2023-24 campaign.

The Thunder have an overwhelmingly larger sample size playing at an elite level than being run off the floor by NBA powers. While Milwaukee used the typical formula to get the Thunder out of their element, few NBA teams can duplicate it.

Milwaukee used their size and physicality to force the Thunder into difficult shots. Oklahoma City couldn’t get into the painted area where they typically dominate, could not speed up the Bucks and get out and run in transition via turnovers and clanked triples left, right and center. That is not a winning formula at any level of the sport. Not even when they played on peach baskets could you come out victorious like that.

The Bucks deserve a lot of credit for their ability to crowd Shai Gilgeous-Alexander holding him to arguably his worst team of the season while flying out to his comrades on the perimeter forcing them into difficult attempts.

A team that typically lives in the lane and transition lost the points in the paint battle by 26 and was outscored in the fastbreak by five. The Thunder represent the best 3-point shooting team in the association but only made 27 percent of their shots from behind the tape in this contest.
Few teams can overwhelm Gilgeous-Alexander to the extent the Bucks did, avoid turnovers, and dominate with scorers inside the caliber of Antentokounmpo.

The Lakers come to mind in the Western Conference as posing the biggest threat to the Thunder before the Western Conference Finals who can check all of the boxes and even then, Oklahoma City has been able to compete with the Purple and Gold.

Every team in the history of the association has seen a formula to beat them and has been blown out. It is the frequency at which it happens that defines the success of the ball club. So far, the Thunder have been one of the best in the NBA at limiting these poor showings.

Stiles Points:

• Josh Giddey played a quality game against the Bucks. Not only due to his shooting outburst, going 4-for-6 from beyond the arc, but his total feel for the game. Despite the poor outcomes, Giddey was often in the right spot to defend against the overwhelming Bucks. Offensively his quick decision-making led to success nearly corralling a triple-double.  
• Isaiah Joe is struggling to shoot the ball in the month of March turning stroking the trey ball at just a 27 percent clip. A different verse, same as the first though, as last March Joe experienced his worst month beyond the arc (30 percent). 
• Jalen Williams turned in a good game against the Bucks, including a fantastic bucket going to his left over Antetokounmpo using his physicality to get to his spot. This is a skill that can translate to the NBA postseason in just a few weeks as the style of play shifts. 
• The Thunder shuffle down to the second-place team in the Western Conference, a half-game back of the Denver Nuggets and a full game up on the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Song of the Day: Milwaukee, I Come by Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton

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