Top Performers From Oklahoma City's Gritty Loss to the Los Angeles Clippers
The Oklahoma City Thunder were minutes away from upsetting the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night.
Taking an early lead, the young Thunder led for a majority of the game, only falling to a Paul George shooting barrage down the stretch to come up short, losing 99-94 at the Staples Center.
Despite the loss, a pair of Oklahoma City players had really nice outings, as Sam Presti looks to have hit big on a rookie sensation in this past year’s NBA Draft.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Oklahoma City’s 172-million-dollar man has quickly shaken off any signs of rust and is right back to being a major headache for any opposing team.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led all Thunder scorers with 28 points on 11-of-23 shooting, knocking down 3-of-5 attempts from 3-point range while also adding seven rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block.
But perhaps most impressive was the manner in which he again took over the third quarter.
Fifteen of Gilgeous-Alexander’s 28 points came in the third period, where he shot a blistering 5-of-7 from the field.
The former Kentucky guard has spoken of his intention to get his teammates involved early in games, but when he’s decided to lock in and take over the game himself in third quarters this year, he’s often looked the best player on the floor.
Josh Giddey
Australian guard Josh Giddey continues to look every bit the part of a star in the making.
Giddey finished second the team in points as he and Darius Bazley both put up 15, but he was also a key cog in getting everyone else going early on for the Thunder.
For the night, Giddey finished with five rebounds, seven assists, two steals and two blocks, asserting himself as one of the most impactful rookies in every facet of the game.
More than just a passer, Giddey continues to flash the ability to use his length and athleticism to get to the rim, shaking off stalwart defender Paul George on more than one occasion to get to the rack for the Thunder on Monday night.
Though he still has plenty of growing to do defensively, Giddey appears to be just scratching the surface of what he can be for the Thunder. He already has a nice floater and has shown at times the ability to hurt teams from deep. If he can hone in on a more consistent 3-ball, Giddey will be an absolute matchup nightmare playing alongside Gilgeous-Alexander.
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