Sarr and Pokusevski Show Their Growth as Thunder Struggle From 3-Point Range

There wasn’t much to write home about Sunday night for the Thunder.

The team lost to the Utah Jazz by a final score of 116-103 in the Paycom Center Sunday evening. The Thunder starters struggled to develop anything of note, especially for momentum. The Jazz shot well and OKC did not.

Despite the poor performance overall a few players stood out.

Olivier Sarr

Olivier Sarr normally doesn’t find himself playing for the Thunder, instead he’s typically in the G-League for the Blue. Due to recent injuries, Sarr has been playing key minutes for OKC recently.

Sunday wasn’t any different. Coming off of the bench, Sarr provided some offensive help, but mostly saw his impact on the glass for OKC. The young center was second on the team in rebounds with nine behind only Aleksej Pokusevski.

Sarr added 11 points to his rebounds coming in just one board short of a double-double. He shot efficiently, including sinking a 3-point shot. Sarr posted a 4-for-9 from the field shooting total in the game.

Like most of the Thunder bench, due to injuries, Sarr is fighting for a possible roster spot going forward in the season. His presence down low continues to be huge for OKC.

Aleksej Pokusevski

Aleksej Pokusevski’s development hasn’t always been consistent, but he’s showing his progress during this stretch of injuries for OKC. With the injuries, the Serbian has been placed in the starting lineup and has made the most of the opportunity.

Sunday, Pokusevski posted a double-double with 12 points and a team-high 11 rebounds. The 7-footer has been able to showcase his length and size in his new role for OKC while injuries have been mounting.

He has also helped the Thunder in the paint, especially on the glass. With the lack of a true big man, Pokusevski and others have had to replenish the rebounds.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

It’s no secret that with the mounting injuries, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has a loaded plate to even keep OKC in contention game in and game out.

He’s done his best with the situation he finds himself in. Gilgeous-Alexander scored a team-high 33 points in an impressive 11-of-23 shooting. Of his 12 missed shots, four of them were from 3-point range, where he failed to make an attempt. He has now scored 30 or more points in six of his last eight games.

Gilgeous-Alexander also been productive on the boards and in facilitating other points for the team. He had seven rebounds and eight assists, nearly notching a triple-double.

With Lu Dort and Josh Giddey continuing to miss time, Gilgeous-Alexander’s success continues to keep the Thunder competitive in games.

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.