Thunder Battle Back Behind Gilgeous-Alexander, Giddey to Down Hawks
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The Oklahoma City Thunder took on the Atlanta Hawks as both teams were on a two-game win-streak. The Thunder, with an up and down game, won their third game in a row with a final score of 121-114.
The first half was filled with mini runs, while the Hawks felt in control for most of the half. The game was tied early in the second quarter, but they haven’t had a lead since late in the first quarter.
At halftime, the score was 59-54 in favor of the Hawks. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Ousmane Dieng and Jalen Williams were the top performers of the half.
While Dejounte Murray had a solid half, Trae Young had only three points on 1-of-6 shooting. In general, the half was quite even and had a solid pace to it.
It took the Thunder just under three minutes to get on the board in the third quarter. Dieng remained a hotspot as he continued to impress, setting his career high early in the quarter. Gilgeous-Alexander added 11 points in the quarter to keep the game close.
Isaiah Joe had a solid third quarter, too, which ended with him having nine points on three 3-pointers.
The solid finish for the Thunder in the third quarter carried into the final frame, as the Thunder jumped on a 9-2 run that gave them a lead for the first time since the first quarter. Following the run, the Thunder kept their foot on the pedal to control the majority of the final frame.
The Hawks weren’t going to let the Thunder off the hook easily, as they brought some push back late in the game. Gilgeous-Alexander made a few key plays down the stretch to ice the game
Of course, Gilgeous-Alexander – who is continuing his All-Star campaign – was the Thunder’s leading scorer with 35 points on 10-of-22 shooting. He added 6 rebounds and 5 assists. This was Gilgeous-Alexander's seventh straight 30-point performance.
Ousmane Dieng added his career night with 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting and 3-of-4 on 3-pointers.
When Gilgeous-Alexander was out of the game to start the fourth quarter, Josh Giddey did an incredible job at leading the second unit that eventually took the lead. He finished with 17 points on 5-of-12 shooting and 2-of-4 on 3-pointers, including a timely 3-pointer from the logo.
Jalen Williams was a bright spot, as well, as he finished with 12 points on 6-of-10 shooting.
The Thunder had six double-figure scorers on the night. The squad did a solid job defensively, too, holding Trae Young to 21 points on 5-of-17 shooting.
The next bit of action for the Thunder will come against the Memphis Grizzlies on December 7th, which will continue the Thunder's road trip.
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