Trio of Forwards Lead the Way in OKC's Road Loss Against Sixers

Oklahoma City’s fourth quarter rally came up short against the 76ers, as the Thunder lost in Philadelphia 100-87.

The Thunder were squarely in the game the entire first half but simply couldn’t slow down Joel Embiid. The big man had 11 points and 10 rebounds in the first quarter alone.

Oklahoma City trailed by just five at halftime, setting itself up for a strong third quarter run to take the lead.

In the third quarter, however, that run never happened. The Thunder had their worst quarter of the night, going 0-for-8 from 3-point land and getting outscored 31-20.

While the bench brought some fourth quarter energy, led by Aleksej Pokusevski, OKC was never able to fully take the lead.

Aleksej Pokusevski

Once again, Pokusevski provided real, solid minutes off the bench for the Thunder. It wasn’t just an expirement, it wasn’t just extra court time, Poku legitimately made OKC better when he was in.

The Serbian finished with 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting and six rebounds.

Pokusevski has now scored in double figures and shot over 50% in his last three contests. This is a huge sign of growth and development for the young player.

Derrick Favors

Favors is not usually listed as one of Oklahoma City’s top performers often, but he was fantastic for the Thunder on Friday.

The veteran big man had a season-high of 16 points and did so efficiently, shooting 8-for-13. Favors also grabbed nine rebounds and recorded three blocks. His ability to be physical in the paint with Embiid kept the Thunder in the game.

Favors only played 28 minutes on the night, making his stat line even more impressive. He’s been a solid player for the Thunder when he gets playing time, but with their current situation, he hasn’t been finding the court much.

If Favors can continue his strong play, though, he could be a player to watch on the buyout market if he and the Thunder go in that direction.

Darius Bazley

Bazley finished the game with a monster double-double, netting 14 points and 15 rebounds.

The forward shot efficiently and limited turnovers, both things that have plagued him in the past. He finished the game shooting 5-for-10 and 2-for-4 from being the 3-point line while only committing one turnover.

Bazley had been struggling for much of the season until this past month where he’s really burst onto the scene. He’s now scored in double figures seven of the last eight games.

The 21-year-old is finally playing at the level the Thunder envisioned him playing at someday in his rookie year. Consistency going forward will be the key.

Oklahoma City returns to the court Saturday, as the Thunder travel to Chicago to take on the Bulls at 7 p.m.

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