Skip to main content
Muscala- Jerome's Night Against the Suns | Dec. 29, 2021

Gilgeous-Alexander Leads the Way in Big Win Over Knicks

Thunder use massive bench production to topple New York on New Year's Eve.

Oklahoma City was able to end 2021 on a high note Friday night in a blowout home win over the Knicks 95-80.

OKC used a heavy 3-point attack to propel them to victory. The Thunder ended the night with an impressive 18 3-pointers, which was exactly half of their 36 field-goal makes.

The Knicks had a night to forget from behind the 3-point line which is what led the Thunder to pull away in the second half. The Knicks shot just 19.5% from deep, finishing the night going 8-for-41.

The Thunder weren’t at full strength, but had a massive boost with Kenrich Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander both returning to the lineup. While Ty Jerome finished the night with just three 3-pointers, all three came in the first quarter. Jerome has provided huge minutes and production lately for OKC.

It took a full team effort to piece together one of the Thunder’s most impressive wins of the season, but here are some of the most impressive performances of the night:

Aaron Wiggins

OKC Thunder, New York Knicks, Mitchell Robinson, Aaron Wiggins

The Thunder rookie continues to impress. With every outing, he looks more and more comfortable.

Wiggins plays consistent and efficient basketball while starring in his role which is what makes him so appealing to the Thunder coaching staff. He never tries to do too much and he knows his role on this team.

Friday night, Wiggins once again got the start, scoring 13 points in 26 minutes. The Maryland product shot 5-of-8 from the floor and 2-of-4 from 3-point range. His spot starts might end up giving him a full-time starting spot soon.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

OKC Thunder, New York Knicks, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Gilgeous-Alexander was able to lead the Thunder in scoring even though he had an off-night shooting the ball. One of the more encouraging parts of Gilgeous-Alexander's development has been his ability to find different ways to score, even when his 3-point shot isn't falling.

Friday night, the Thunder star poured in 23 points and four assists, marking six-straight games of 20+ points. Gilgeous-Alexander continued his impressive play as of late with an outside chance at his first All-Star appearance.

The Bench

OKC Thunder, New York Knicks, Mitchell Robinson

The Thunder also got plenty of production from its bench tonight. OKC finished the night with 43 bench points, which was nearly half of their team total of 95.

Jerome and Mike Muscala both had three triples on the night, as Jerome added 11 points and Muscala scored nine. Williams once again filled the stat sheet for OKC once again with eight points, seven rebounds and four assists.

Every player on the Thunder bench finished the night with a positive plus/minus rating on the floor.

Want to join the discussion? Like SI Thunder on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.

© 2024 ABG-SI LLC. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ABG-SI LLC. - All Rights Reserved. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. All betting content is intended for an audience ages 21+. All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators’ opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. No one should expect to make money from the picks and predictions discussed on this website. For more information, please read our Legal Disclaimer. Gambling content intended for 21+. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER.