Handing out Game Balls after Lu Dort's show-stopping performance against Utah
Even in a loss, the Oklahoma City Thunder were the talk of the NBA on Tuesday night.
Suffering their seventh straight defeat at the hands of the Utah Jazz 106-96 in Salt Lake City, UT, a career night from Thunder guard Luguentz Dort kept OKC in the game in the first half against the team who boast the NBA’s best record.
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The journey of a season cannot always be simplified down into wins and losses, as Oklahoma City continues to develop young players despite losing nine of their last 10 games and tumbling down the league standings.
Here were the bright spots in Oklahoma City’s defeat in Utah.
Game Ball: Lu Dort
Dort obviously stole the show setting his career high and becoming only the sixth player in Thunder history to cross the 40-point threshold.
Finishing 16-of-31 from the field, Dort also finished with seven rebounds, three assists and four steals.
But not only did Dort dazzle offensively, he still put in his usual great shift on the defensive end of the floor as well.
Donovan Mitchell was held to 22 points on 7-of-16 shooting, well below his standards as of late. Dort’s defense helped the Thunder get off to their hot start too, holding Mitchell to two points in the opening quarter where Dort played all but two seconds.
Dort put in an incredible shift on both ends of the floor, and even in a loss logged a night Thunder fans won’t soon forget.
Game Ball: Moses Brown
The undrafted rookie from UCLA struggled a bit in his last outing against MVP candidate Joel Embiid.
Looking to bounce-back, he just had to handle perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate and outstanding rebounder Rudy Gobert.
Despite the challenge, Moses Brown held strong in Utah.
Finishing with 12 points and 10 rebounds, Brown posted his eighth double-double in 25 games for Oklahoma City.
Moses Brown held his own against dominate big Rudy Gobert, pulling down five offensive rebounds on Tuesday night
Jeffrey Swinger / USA TODAY Sports
Brown said he relished the chance to mix it up on the court with Gobert, as the french center is a player he’s long admired.
“It was an amazing experience,” Brown said in a post game Zoom press conference. “I often watch a lot of Rudy Gobert’s highlights before I even came into the league. But just being on the court with somebody like that was an amazing experience and I really got something out of the physicality today.”
To go along with his double-double, the Thunder big was the only starter with a positive plus/minus, closing out the contest a +10.
Oklahoma City returns home to host the Golden State Warriors Wednesday night on the second night of a back-to-back.
The Thunder and the Warriors are scheduled to tip off at 8 p.m. central time inside the Chesapeake Energy Arena.
