Handing Out Game Balls For Oklahoma City's 117-112 Victory Over The Clippers

In their season finale, the Oklahoma City Thunder topped the shorthanded Clippers behind monster performances from a trio of players.

It was a grueling 72-game season, but the Oklahoma CIty Thunder treated their fans to a 117-112 win over the Los Angeles Clippers in Sunday night’s finale.

Finishing the year at 22-50, the victory meant OKC tied with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the fourth best odds in the 2021 NBA Draft Lottery, a tie which will have to be broken by a coin flip before the lottery.

---

READ MORE:

• Thunder players go through exit interviews

• Latest Oklahoma City mock draft 

• Final lottery odds for OKC

---

The players on the floor won’t care much about the lottery odds however, as their efforts to continually get better all year long were rewarded with a victory against the shorthanded Clippers.

Playing without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ty Jerome, and with Theo Maledon only playing 13 minutes, the Thunder were again put in a situation where their bigs had to run the point, and again a few players thrived.

Game Ball: Aleksej Pokusevski

Aleksej Pokusevski excelled running the point for the Oklahoma City Thunder against the LA Clippers :: Alonzo Adams / USA TODAY Sports

Aleksej Pokusevski was player who was given an extended opportunity to run the point for OKC on Sunday, and he made the most of it.

After the game, Oklahoma City head coach Mark Daigneault said he was actually surprised with how well the rookie organized the group and got players into the right places while initiating the offense.

Leading all scorers, Pokusevski scored 29 points on 10-of-19 shooting, knocking down 6-of-9 attempts from 3-point range. The Serbian also added eight rebounds and two assists, but his uptick in usage did result in seven turnovers from the Thunder rookie.

No bucket was more important that his triple to break the tie in the final minute of the game, however. Pokusevski’s 3-pointer put OKC up 115-112, and forced the Clippers into a high-pressure shot with just seconds left on the clock, which they ultimately missed, handing the Thunder the victory.

Game Ball: Josh Hall

Josh Hall led the Thunder playing 43 minutes in their season finale against the Clippers :: Alonzo Adams / USA TODAY Sports

Absences in the lineup handed Josh Hall a prime opportunity to impress, as Daigneault gave Hall 43 minutes of run.

And Hall rewarded Daigneault’s faith. Scoring 25 points, Hall feasted inside the arc as he attacked the basket. He also pulled down 10 rebounds, completing the double-double for the night.

The only thing Hall didn’t do well was knock down shots from three, but only six of Halls 21 attempts came from beyond the arc, sticking to what he was comfortable with.

Game Ball: Moses Brown

Moses Brown fell two rebounds short of another 20-20 game for the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday night :: Alonzo Adams / USA TODAY Sports

Moses Brown capped off the victory with an emphatic dunk with just seconds remaining on the clock, the perfect end to his big night.

A defensive force against the Clippers, Brown blocked seven shots, fulfilling his role as the rim protector to perfection.

The former UCLA center also pulled down 18 rebounds, just two boards shy of another 20-20 game in his first season for the Thunder.

Contributing 24 points on 12-of-19 shooting, Brown also did a good job of distributing from the low post as he tallied three assists for the contest.

Brown will hope to take this performance into the offseason and build upon it, hoping to replicate his effectiveness in the paint on both ends throughout next season.