Gilgeous-Alexander, Giddey Lead the Way in Close Loss to Heat

The Oklahoma City Thunder played their first home game in two weeks against the Miami Heat. The 110-108 loss for the Thunder was the first of a seven-game homestand.

Despite falling down as much as 21 points in the second quarter, the Thunder did what they’ve shown many times this season and battled back. With 3:42 remaining in the third frame, the Thunder gained a lead and would battle out for the rest of the game. Tyler Herro, however, had other plans as he knocked down the go ahead two pointer with around five seconds remaining.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the main driver of the Thunder, as he’s been in nearly every Thunder game this season. He finished with 27 points on 10-of-20 shooting. He only shot six free throws in this contest, knocking down all six of them. Added onto Gileous-Alexander’s scoring, he pulled down eight rebounds and picked up seven assists. It was a mostly complete game for him, minus the ten or more free throw attempts.

After picking up his play in the last stretch of games, Josh Giddey added a solid impact with a double-double. He had a team high in +/- at +15 as he scored 19 points on 9-of-15 shooting. He knocked down a 3-pointer, too, which is always refreshing to see. For his double-double, Giddey pulled down 11 rebounds and stayed in triple-double range with seven assists.

Lu Dort battled back his recent struggles in this matchup, too. His shots seemed in rhythm and didn’t stop the pace of the Thunder’s offense. He knocked down a season high four 3-pointers, finishing 4-of-7 from beyond the arc. He finished with 18 points on 50% shooting, which included some timely buckets en route to the initial comeback.

A player who has been picking up more and more starts recently is rookie Jalen Williams, and he is continuing to shine in his role.

Tonight, Williams was able to play with the ball in his hands quite a bit and it proved beneficial for the Thunder. While he was able to continue his solid scoring from all three levels, it seemed to have benefitted Giddey as well. He’s a good solid third ball handler for his squad, and he shows his potential more and more each game.

For Williams’ numbers, he posted 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including 2-of-4 from beyond the arc. He was the only starter that finished with a negative +/- at -1.

Each of the starters for tonight finished in double figures scoring, and Darius Bazley was the player that rounded out the starting five. Making his first start of the season, Bazley had a solid 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting and never forced his offense in this game. He added a solid spark of energy and played solid at the center position.

There’s a reason each of the five starters were the top performers, as they all showed many positives in this matchup and combined for 90 of the Thunders’ 108 points. If they get more help from the second unit, this game is much more winnable.

The Thunder’s next bit of action will come at home again as they take on the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.

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