Handing Out Game Balls From the Thunder's Final Road Game of Season
The Oklahoma City Thunder lost to the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night, bringing their losing streak to eight-straight. This puts them at 2-25 since the trade deadline, the worst record in the league over this span.
In a game where OKC played without a true point guard with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, Theo Maledon and Ty Jerome out due to injury, their unorthodox lineups continued for the second-straight game. With just two games remaining and the Thunder out of the playoff race, there's no rush to return players back to the floor.
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Overall, the Thunder lost the game in the third quarter. After holding a halftime lead, OKC only scored 18 third quarter points and got into a hole they couldn't climb out of.
With multiple players being asked to do things they typically wouldn't, the Thunder fell 122-106 to the Kings. However, this also gave players the chance to show parts of their game we haven't seen before, continuing their growth and development.
Game Ball: Kenrich Williams
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Due to Thunder injuries, Kenrich Williams was tasked with starting at point guard, a position he typically would never play. A 6-foot-6 wing, Williams typically plays one of the forward positions. Nonetheless, he stepped up to the challenge and was perhaps the Thunder's best player all night.
Having a career season, Brown continued to show flashes of improvement on Tuesday night, producing 20 points (4-for-5 from deep) to go along with four assists and two rebounds. Additionally, he was excellent on defense, racking up four steals and two blocks on the night while being disruptive in the passing lanes and contesting shots.
On a small, non-guaranteed contract over the next two seasons, Williams will be an attractive trade target for contenders this offseason.
Game Ball: Moses Brown
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In a huge loss, Moses Brown was a team best -1 in box plus/minus, proving his value on the floor and success the team had with him playing. Continuing to improve as the team's starting center in the absence of Al Horford, Brown is still raw with a lot of upside at 7-foot-2.
A rebounding machine, Brown notched a 10 point, 13 rebound double-double against the Kings on Tuesday night, setting the tone down low as OKC won the overall rebounding battle.
After being converted from a two-way contract to a full NBA deal earlier this season, Brown's contract is extremely team-friendly and one they will continue to benefit from through the next couple of seasons.
