Top Performers From Oklahoma City's 106-98 Loss to Golden State
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma City Thunder pushed the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night, building an early lead before ultimately falling 106-98 at the Paycom Center.
A lineup change due to center Derrick Favors getting ruled out of the lineup saw the Thunder get off to a fast start as Jeremiah Robinson-Earl brought his signature energy to the floor.
Oklahoma City built an 11-point halftime lead before the Warriors came on strong in the third quarter, finishing on a 17-2 run to take the lead headed into the fourth.
While OKC ultimately fell short, it was still the best performance of the season for the Thunder, who fell to 0-4 with the loss.
Here are the top performers from Oklahoma City’s defeat at the hands of the Golden State Warriors:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander battled Steph Curry all night despite the Thunder's loss to the Warriors
Alonzo Adams / USA TODAY Sports
After coming alive down the stretch against the Philadelphia 76ers, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looked every bit his old self from the jump against the Warriors.
Gilgeous-Alexander led OKC with eight first quarter points, one of the beneficiaries of the excellent ball movement by Josh Giddey and Robinson-Earl.
The Thunder guard really got things going in the mid-range as well, finishing 5-of-9 on the evening attacking the middle of the court.
But the mid-range wasn’t Gilgeous-Alexander’s only weapon, as he converted 4-of-5 attempts from beyond the arc on the evening.
Gilgeous-Alexander said he was happy to get back into rhythm, as he’s continued to work hard on his 3-ball all summer.
“It felt good obviously,” Gilgeous-Alexander said after the game. “Better than misses. But it’s something that I worked on, I’ll continue to work on. Hopefully it keeps showing up.”
He also added a rebound and four assists to cap off an all-around nice performance.
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl made the most of his first start in an Oklahoma City Thunder uniform against Golden State
Alonzo Adams / USA TODAY Sports
The former Villanova big got his first NBA start of his career on Tuesday night, and he did not disappoint.
Playing within himself, Robinson-Earl stretched the floor for OKC and was efficient when the ball found him in the flow of the offense.
In the first quarter alone, Robinson-Earl cashed in for seven points, good enough for second on the team.
Getting inserted into the starting lineup, Robinson-Earl maintained that he was ready to do whatever it took to help pull out a victory.
“I mean just to go out there and complete,” Robinson-Earl said after the game. “Play defense and play for my team.”
Overall, the stretch big finished with 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting, battling for two rebounds, dishing out an assist and swiping one steal for the night.
Robinson-Earl was also lethal from deep, knocking down 2-of-4 3-point attempts to remain a legitimate outside scoring threat. It’s an area Robinson-Earl said he worked hard on all offseason, and he’s just happy it’s paying off so he can add another dimension to the Thunder offense.
“I feel like it can give us an advantage being able to space the floor,” he said. “… I think being able to stretch the floor helps my team out to be able (to make plays).”
Both Robinson-Earl and Gilgeous-Alexander will have another opportunity to build on their strong performances on Wednesday night, as the Thunder welcome Russell Westbrook, LeBron James and the rest of the Los Angeles Lakers fresh off of LA’s 124-121 overtime victory over the Spurs.
Tip-off from the Paycom Center is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Wednesday night.
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.
