Thunder Comeback Falls Short Against Warriors Despite Gilgeous-Alexander’s Half
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Despite a furious comeback effort Oklahoma City couldn’t overcome a 21-point first quarter deficit. The Thunder ran out of gas late in the fourth quarter, dropping a home game to the defending-champion Golden State Warriors.
The Thunder outscored the Warriors in three-out-of-four quarters, but Golden State’s 38-point opening frame was enough to do the job. As a team, the Warriors made 20 3-pointers, 14 of those coming from Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. Curry’s 38 points were a game high, and his deflating buckets down the stretch put the Thunder to bed for good.
Golden State recorded 37 assists on the game and shot 51.1% from the floor. Down the stretch, the Thunder played competitive defense but the Warriors’ offense was too good.
Here’s who led Oklahoma City in an exciting battle with the Warriors:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
After the first quarter, it felt like it could be a long night for SGA and the Thunder. He started off the game 0-for-7 and took a few uncharacteristic shots. After settling in, though, he turned in another terrific performance.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished the night with 31 points and seven assists after scoring just two points in the opening frame. In the second half, he had to go shot-for-shot with Golden State’s 3-point snipers to give Oklahoma City a chance late. It wasn’t his most efficient night, but he battled through a tough quarter and nearly pulled off the upset.
Josh Giddey
Giddey was all over the floor Monday night, stuffing the stat sheet against the Warriors. The point guard totaled 21 points, eight rebounds and six assists, while adding three steals on the defensive end. He helped Oklahoma City push the pace all night long, and minus a costly layup miss late, Giddey was fantastic around the rim against Golden State. He took advantage of his size against Steph Curry and was aggressive on the offensive end.
Jalen Williams
Once again, Williams was making big plays late in the game to keep Oklahoma City within arms reach. In 30 minutes, he chipped in 19 points and four rebounds on 8-of-14 shooting. He’s becoming a go-to scoring option for the Thunder, especially when Gilgeous-Alexander is on the bench. It was another impressive performance for the Thunder’s lottery pick, as his ceiling seems to rise with each game.
Jaylin Williams
Oklahoma City’s second round pick has been adding valuable minutes to the rotation over the last few weeks. Monday night Williams contributed 12 points, eight rebounds and three assists in just 17 minutes off the bench. He’s starting to show flashes of potential in his rookie season.
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