OKC Thunder Record Season-High Field Goal Percentage in Bounce Back Win
On Tuesday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder notched an impressive win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, knocking off the No. 1 team in the Western Conference by a wide margin.
OKC was propelled by their tremendous shooting splits against Minnesota, shooting a whopping 60.5% from the field as a team, marking the Thunder's highest shooting percentage of the season.
In their 23-point victory, eight of Oklahoma City's players shot 50% or better from the field, including all five starters. Four of the team's five starters topped 20 points on Tuesday night as well.
Superstar guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went a remarkable 14-of-19 on his way to a 34-point performance, while second-year wing Jalen Williams went 7-for-11 from the field en route to 21 points of his own.
Chet Holmgren, who went 8-for-13 from the field, and Lu Dort, who was 7-of-9 against the Wolves, both finished with 20 points apiece. Josh Giddey finished 4-of-7 for 10 points.
In addition to its impressive field goal percentage, the Thunder also shot 46.2% from the 3-point range against Minnesota.
Scoring 129 points and shooting over 60% from the field is impressive against any squad, but even more so against a Timberwolves team that is seen as one of the best defenses in the NBA.
Through its first 29 games, Minnesota has notched a 108.5 defensive rating, good enough for No. 1 in the NBA in that category. In addition to their staunch defense, the Timberwolves still sit atop the Western Conference at 22-7.
The Thunder's convincing bounce-back victory after losing to the Lakers 129-120 on Saturday night indicates that despite the team's youth, they are a serious contender in the West.
While OKC certainly won't shoot over 60% from the field each time they play the Wolves, earning a victory over one of the best defensive teams in the NBA with a huge offensive performance shows that the Thunder are capable of scoring on any team in the league.
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