OKC Thunder Showed Ability to Win a Tough Game Against the Bulls

The Oklahoma City Thunder made a jump a season ago. The team showed its capability to compete on a nightly basis with flashes of a team ready for postseason basketball.

With a full offseason of development, it seemed this team might have been primed for yet another jump -- one that could potentially see this team playing real postseason basketball this year, not just a play-in appearance.

Through 15 games, the Thunder is 11-4 and is currently the lone No. 2 team in the Western Conference. While these standings often change as teams go on winning or losing streaks, the Thunder is showing early signs of a good regular season squad.

Playing a full 82-game winning season requires a few things. Depth and talent are important, but so is the ability to win tough games when the shooting may or may not be there.

The Thunder showed its ability to do so last night as they defeated the Chicago Bulls 116-102, as Isaiah Joe noted after the win.

“It's kind of turning into an identity. We had to play a 48-minute game right there," Joe said after the win. "We just had to knuckle down and find the energy and the will to win going down the stretch.”

Joe finished with 20 points on 6-of-9 shooting and 5-of-7 from the field, but the offense didn't come that easy for the rest of the squad. Joe, Chet Holmgren and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander all seemed to buckle down on their respective roles and helped the Thunder grind out a gutty win.

The ability to win these types of games rather than letting the win streak die is why the Thunder is going to be able to find some added success this season. They have plenty of talent, a consistent scheme and, most importantly, the ability to win games they should be winning, even when faced with adversity.

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