Dieng, Robinson-Earl Bright Spots in OKC Loss

Not many shots were falling for OKC in its 108-94 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night. The Thunder shot 34% from 3-point range and only 62% from the free-throw line.

Only three players scored in double figures for Oklahoma City, the lowest total of the year. Emerging superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander even had his own struggles in Milwaukee, being held below 20 points for the first time this season.

Gilgeous-Alexander finished the contest with 18 points and three assists while shooting 7-for-16 from the field. Many of the former Kentucky guard's buckets came in the mid-range, where the 6-foot-6 ball handler was able to rise over defenders and let off jump shots in the paint.

One of these scores came at the end of the first quarter, when Gilgeous-Alexander nailed a heavily contested buzzer-beater against double coverage.

Second-year big man Jeremiah Robinson-Earl was the Thunder's most efficient scorer on Saturday night, scoring 12 points in 18 minutes while missing only two shots. The 6-foot-9 forward connected on two shots from behind the 3-point arc and did not miss a two-point field goal.

The Villanova product also grabbed three rebounds to go along with one block and one assist.

Second-year guard Josh Giddey was OKC's second-highest scorer against the Bucks, pitching in 15 points and shooting 6-of-14 from the field. Giddey also knocked down a pair of triples, continuing to show that he has improved his 3-point stroke from a season ago. Giddey added six rebounds and two assists while only commiting one personal foul.

French rookie Ousmane Dieng didn't produce the highest statistical outputs, but the 19-year-old wing looked more comfortable in Saturday night's contest than he had in any game up to this point.

The former NBL star showed his defensive potential, sticking with bigger wings on the perimeter and walling off down low when he needed to. Offensively, Dieng looked much more capable than he has so far in his young career, going 3-of-4 from the field with eight points, five assists and four rebounds in addition to zero turnovers.

If Dieng can continue to grow his offensive game, the 6-foot-11 wing will quickly earn more time on the court.

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.