Top Performers: Gilgeous-Alexander Stuffs Stat Sheet in Overtime Loss to Jazz

In their first game post All-Star break, the Oklahoma City Thunder got off to a slow start versus the Utah Jazz, trailing 9-17 midway through the first frame. But after playing the entire first quarter, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 12 points powered the Thunder to just a 26-28 deficit heading into the second frame.

The Thunder seemed to find their footing defensively in the second quarter, finding 29 points while holding the Jazz to just 18 points to produce a nine-point advantage going into the halftime break.

After a virtual stalemate in the third frame that saw the Jazz cut their deficit to just eight points, the Thunder’s offensive struggles started to catch up with them in the fourth quarter with Gilgeous-Alexander scoring just three points. Those struggles would eventually lead to the Jazz finding a way to force overtime after Walker Kessler thwarted an out-of-bounds play that almost saw Isaiah Joe hit the game-winning shot.

Late in overtime, Luguentz Dort would foul Lauri Markkanen on a 3-point attempt, resulting in three made free throws, putting the Jazz ahead 120-119 with just seconds remaining. With just 4.6 seconds remaining for the Thunder to answer, Gilgeous-Alexander would receive the inbounds pass, shed Markkanen’s defense, but ultimately miss a mid-range game-winner.

Here are the top performers from Thursday night’s action.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Amidst a night where the Thunder would shoot just 40.2% from the field and convert just eight of 37 3-point attempts, Gilgeous-Alexander would pick up the slack, pouring in 39 points in 41 minutes. His 19 trips to the foul line was by far the most out of anyone else in the game, highlighting Utah’s ineffectiveness to guard him.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s scoring was especially important in the third frame as he accounted for 18 out of the Thunder’s 31 points to hold on to an eight-point advantage heading into the final frame.

And not only did he lead the way in scoring for his team, he also was the best playmaker on the floor, finding seven assists and turning it over just twice. Defensively, he was incredibly active, too, probing for steals and blocks, trying to find anyway he could help, resulting in two steals and a block.

Kenrich Williams

Coming off the bench to play 28 minutes, Williams’ versatility and experience was indispensable as he provided 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting, hitting 2-of-4 of his 3-pointers, and dishing out three assists while never turning the ball over.

Williams’ play in the fourth frame was vital as the Thunder struggled to score. With the game tied 95-95, he would score the next eight points for his team, knocking down two clutch triples and finishing a contested layup in transition to combat the Jazz’s surging offense.

And although he didn’t record a single block or steal, Williams’ defense helped to make life tough on Utah’s perimeter players.

Jaylin Williams

The rookie center was the lone bright spot in the Thunder’s frontcourt that faced in Thursday night’s frustrating loss, scoring 11 points behind 3-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc in 27 minutes of action.

Williams’ three 3-pointers were career-high for the big man and tied Markkanen and fellow rookie, Ochai Agbaji, for the highest mark in the game.

And while the boxscore shows just six rebounds, the 6-foot-10 Williams did a phenomenal job battling for boards and mucking things up on the inside, allowing for his teammates to swoop in and secure loose balls.

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