G League Players Give Thunder Key Contributions in Upset Victory

With superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 2022 All-Rookie team member Josh Giddey and fourth-year big man Darius Bazley all unavailable, Oklahoma City needed its role players to put on big performances in order to even compete with the red-hot Grizzlies. Memphis was fresh off of a 142-101 victory over the 2021 NBA Champion Milwaukee Bucks while the Thunder had fallen in five consecutive contests, most recently to the shorthanded Minnesota Timberwolves.

Despite being defeated by a horrifying 73 points to the same squad a season ago, OKC did not back down from the challenge, and was able to hold their ground early in the game. When Oklahoma City's bench unit entered the contest, the Thunder were already in the midst of extending its lead.

While Lu Dort and Isaiah Joe led the charge for OKC; Eugene Omoruyi, Lindy Waters III and Jaylin Williams, three players who are typically playing with the Blue, all pitched in major contributions to the winning effort.

Omoruyi cracked the Thunder's starting lineup for the first time in his career on Saturday evening, tallying seven points, six rebounds, two assists and one steal in 16 minutes of action. Waters III played the most minutes of all three, totaling 18 minutes on the floor.

The Norman native went 2-for-2 from 3-point range, finishing with six points and two rebounds. Williams, a rookie big man from Arkansas, went 3-for-4 from the field and 1-for-2 from beyond the arc en route to seven points, four rebounds two assists and one steal in 15 minutes on the court.

All three of the Thunder's surprise contributors finished the game with a positive Plus/Minus.

Omoruyi, Waters III and Williams have played a combined 27 games in the NBA this season. Omoruyi has seen the most NBA action of the three, playing 13 games with the Thunder.

The former Oregon Duck is averaging 18 points and four rebounds per game in his time with the Blue this season, compared to 6.2 points and 2.5 rebounds per game in the NBA.

Waters III has played seven games with the Thunder this year, averaging 4.6 points and 1.7 rebounds in 14 minutes per contest. In the G League, however, Waters III is putting up totals of 14.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game while shooting over 41% from 3-point range.

Williams has also seen action in seven NBA games this season, totaling three points, 2.3 rebounds and one assist per game. With the Blue, the 6-foot-9 rookie big man is tallying 14.2 points, 8.5 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game and shooting 60% from the field.

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