Three Takeaways from the OKC Thunder's Loss in Philadelphia

Without its two leading scorers, Oklahoma City still had plenty of chances to defeat the 76ers, but couldn't quite pull away.

Apr 2, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) shoots / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

On Tuesday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder lost a tight game on the road against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Even without MVP candidate Shai GIlgeous-Alexander and standout second-year wing Jalen Williams in the lineup, OKC managed to lead for most of the game and even held a double-digit advantage in the second half.

Yet, the 76ers would not go away and ended up storming back in the final frame to earn a victory in Joel Embiid's return to the court after missing over 20 games with a knee injury.

Here are three takeaways from the Thunder's Tuesday night loss.

Without SGA and J-Dub, OKC couldn't punch back when Philly got hot

In the first half, Oklahoma City's hustle and defense helped them jump out to a double-digit lead. Despite not having its two leading scorers and best shot-creators, the Thunder were able to knock down open shots and force turnovers to get ahead of Philadelphia.

Once the 76ers started to hit shots from the perimeter, however, OKC didn't have an answer, as they couldn't lean on their two best offensive players to score or help get open looks for the rest of the roster.

At times, it felt like Oklahoma City's offense was helpless, with very little shot-creation ability on the court as Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams both sitting due to injury. After starting the game 10-of-27 from beyond the arc, the Thunder closed the contest going 3-of-12 from 3-point range.

While Sam Presti has helped construct a deep team with plenty of talent and solid role players, it is difficult for many of these role players to shoulder the offensive creation load when the team's top two scoring threats are on the bench.

For the Thunder, only Chet Holmgren reached 20 points, as the team shot 42.5% from the field on Tuesday night.

Holmgren leads the way for OKC

Despite battling one of the best players in the league, Holmgren still managed to be the Thunder's best offensive player against the 76ers.

Finishing the contest with 22 points, seven rebounds and two blocks, Holmgren was locked in from the game's first possession, scoring Oklahoma City's first five points and hitting Josh Giddey for an assist shortly after.

Holmgren knocked down three triples and went 5-of-5 from the free throw line to lead the team in scoring and rebounding.

In Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams' absence, Holmgren showed more aggression and willingness to take over as the team's primary offensive weapon. While, in the end, it was not enough to come out with a victory, seeing the rookie big man take on this leadership role without flinching is encouraging for Mark Daigneault and company as Holmgren continues to grow into an impressive player on both ends of the floor.

Daigneault digs deep

The Thunder's head coach is known for experimenting with different lineups, and against the 76ers with his two best players out of the lineup, Daigneault did not hold back.

In the first quarter alone, Daigneault played 10 different players, with Gordon Hayward, Mike Muscala and Lindy Waters all logging minutes in the opening frame.

While Waters and Muscala only played a combined 14 minutes in the game, Hayward played a much more significant role. In 20 minutes on the court, the veteran wing went 3-of-5 from the field to finish with seven points, two rebounds, two assists and one block.

With both SGA and Williams dealing with injuries, it is likely that the Daigneault was looking for any spark off of the bench while also having to give minutes to players like Waters and Muscala due to Aaron Wiggins and Jaylin Williams in the starting lineup.

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