Three Takeaways from the OKC Thunder's Victory Over the Phoenix Suns
After trailing 17-4 in the game's first six minutes, the Oklahoma City Thunder managed to pull off a miraculous victory against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday night.
The victory helped OKC claim the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference at 42-18, holding a half game lead over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
After the win in Arizona last night, the Thunder will head to Los Angeles for a rematch against the Lakers on Monday evening.
Here are three takeaways from Oklahoma City's big-time win over the Suns.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues make his case for MVP
Superstar guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is having another brilliant season.
After earning First-Team All-NBA honors in 2022-23, Gilgeous-Alexander has had an even better showing this year.
On Sunday night, the sixth-year veteran had another impressive performance, finishing with 35 points, nine assists, eight rebounds, three steals, three blocks and just one turnover.
Gilgeous-Alexander has now scored at least 30 points in an NBA-leading 45 games this season. Luka Doncic comes in just behind Gilgeous-Alexander with 41 games of at least 30 points while Giannis Antetokounmpo is third with 35 games of at least 30 points.
Additionally, Gilgeous-Alexander is producing 30-point games regularly while shooting 54.8% from the floor and leading the NBA in steals with more than two per outing.
With SGA taking another step forward on defense this season in addition to his well-rounded offensive game, the Kentucky product has a real chance at taking home the MVP award in 2024.
Josh Giddey is limiting OKC's offense
While Josh Giddey's stats weren't terrible against the Suns, the third-year guard played significantly less than the rest of the Thunder's starters on Sunday night.
In just 19 minutes, Giddey tallied 10 points, two assists, two steals, two blocks and one rebound, going 4-of-9 from the field and 2-for-4 from beyond the arc. While these are good numbers, opposing defenses still don't view the young Australian as a perimeter threat.
On Sunday, Phoenix completely ignored Giddey at the 3-point line, allowing him to take uncontest triples similar to the way teams used to guard Antetokounmpo, Ben Simmons and even LeBron James before he became a more reliable perimeter scorer.
With teams sagging so far off of Giddey, it clogs the paint for players like Jalen Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander who thrive when attacking the basket.
Giddey has now logged less than 20 minutes in the Thunder's last two games and could continue to see his time on the floor decrease if he and the team's front office can't figure out a more efficient way to use Giddey's skill set.
Aaron Wiggins may have saved basketball (and the Thunder)
When Giddey is having an off night or is not able to impact the game as Daigneault wants him to, OKC has a clear solution off the bench: Aaron Wiggins.
Wiggins doesn't need to take many shots to make his presence felt, as the former second round pick can disrupt opposing teams with his defensive ability, make smart passes and cut to the basket at the perfect moment.
Against the Suns, Wiggins played three more minutes than Giddey and tallied seven points, three rebounds, four steals, one block and zero turnovers.
Wiggins being able to impact the game without need many shot attempts or constantly having the ball in his hands is important for the Thunder, as Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams and Chet Holmgren will often take most of the team's shots.
If Wiggins continues to play well and Giddey is still being guarded the same way, it would not be shocking to see Wiggins, Isaiah Joe and Cason Wallace all start to eat away at Giddey's minutes.
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