Isaiah Joe Proves To Be A Spark Plug From Deep Once Again

Joe made five shots from beyond the arc to help OKC sneak past the Pelicans on Tuesday night.

Jan 27, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe (11) gestures after a play against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

OKC walked into Tuesday’s matchup against the Pelicans with a bad case of the injury bug and desperately needed players to step up to avoid its third straight loss. 

The usual stars made sure they did everything they could to make a difference as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 29 points, followed by Chet Holmgren, who scored 20. However, the OKC Thunder would get their next boost from the squad's three-point specialist, Isaiah Joe. 

The sixth-year guard scored 17 points,15 of which came from beyond the arc. Joe scored quite efficiently as he shot 54.5% from the field and 50% from three, giving the Thunder the spark they needed from beyond the arc, which has failed to be there in some games. 

Joe has regressed somewhat this season, as he is shooting 39.4% from beyond the arc, which is his worst percentage in OKC. Luckily for the short-handed Thunder, Joe came ready to play on Tuesday night. The Arkansas guard did more than just score, as he added three rebounds and three assists to his resume, doing so in just 24 minutes. 

The Thunder have been successful in a lot of categories this season, but more performances like this from Joe could give OKC a boost in yet another. Oklahoma City is only shooting 35.8% from three this year, putting them around the middle of the league. This has caused trouble for the Thunder, like in their last loss when they only shot 26% from three in a loss to Toronto. 

However, when Joe is on fire, it usually means good things for the OKC squad. The Thunder are 15-1 in games where Joe has made at least three shots from deep, and similarly, the OKC squad is 16-2 in games where he scores at least 10 points. 

Joe is not the player who is going to give you ridiculous scoring numbers every night, but he continues to prove he can step up when challenges arise. As the NBA season stretches on, the Thunder are going to have nights like Tuesday, where they are bringing a skeleton crew to a bout that turns into a slugfest. 

Luckily, Joe has proven that his impact can change the course of a game, and if he continues to get back to the level of consistency he has shown in the past, then OKC’s chances of a second title in two years seem to be almost unstoppable.

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