Top Performers: Tre Mann Makes History, Pokusevski Permeates in Loss

The state of Oklahoma has started to implement burn bans. That didn’t stop the firework show set off Monday evening.

After faltering by five in Sunday’s contest, the Oklahoma City Thunder ventured back to the Paycom to face a familiar face in Al Horford, and the Boston Celtics.

Both sides caught fire from the field shooting above 50% from the floor, respectively. Ultimately, this game came down to the heavy artillery, and Boston brought it – igniting for a 132-123 win.

After trailing by as large as 26, Oklahoma City rallied to make things interesting late. Jayson Tatum blew up the fuse, placing 36 points in a commanding effort.

With the loss, the Thunder have now dropped 10-straight games. They’ve also dropped a multitude of star-studded outputs.

Here were the top performers from Monday’s contest:

Tre Mann

Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden – the list runs rampant with homegrown stars from Oklahoma City. Following Monday night, there’s another addition to the list. His name is Tre Mann.

Tre Mann put on a show for Thunder fans against the Celtics. By halftime, Mann set a rookie-high 23 points in the second frame, highlighted by 15 points, in a three-minute span, on a perfect 8-of-8 shooting. By halftime, the 21-year-old had tied a rookie record, previously set by Aleksej Pokusevski with seven threes. He shot a perfect 7-of-7 to get there.

By the end of play, Mann had set a franchise rookie Thunder record with 35 points on 13-of-21 shooting (7-of-13 FG) to go with seven rebounds. Additionally, his efforts marked the highest rookie point total from a No. 18 Pick in NBA history.

Mann was nothing short of spectacular. The guard has dipped into his bag of tricks all season long. But, no performance had been as complete as this one. When one-on-one, his collection of between-the-legs moves and stepbacks was unstoppable, and his transition pull-ups were money.

The 21-year-old has been striving all season. Monday, his hard work paid off at historic levels.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander posted another highly-touted stat line. As opposed to other players, however, his dominance has become the norm. He was dominant at Paycom Center.

SGA raked in buckets from all three levels tallying 31 points on a 13-of-23 slate which included 4-of-4 hits from deep range. The Montreal-native added some additional layers to play, pouring on nine assists, which was a game-high for the contest.

Mann put on a first-half showing like no other. Down the stretch, Gilgeous-Alexander took the torch, dousing on 24 second-half points.

The backcourt of Gilgeous-Alexander and Mann have posed a one-two punch like no other these last few weeks. Needless to say, this is no fluke.

Aleksej Pokusevski

Aleksej Poksevski, Oklahoma City Thunder — Rob Ferguson / USA Today

The stock continues to rise with Aleksej Pokusevski.

Leading into Monday, Pokusevski came off of arguably his worst outing as a pro with seven points on a 3-of-20 shot chart, tied in with just 1-of-10 makes from three. He flipped the script against the Celtics.

Pokusevski’s end line saw him yield a season-high 19 points, six rebounds, and three assists off the bench. To ripen the pot even further, the 7-footer placed 17 of such points in the second half, doing so on an uber-efficient 6-of-7 chart.

Under the role of a seven-foot ball handler, Pokusevski has become one of the most tantalizing prospects in the league. Since his selection, the numbers have shown both flashes of success and ruin. He’s been reveling in riches post-All-Star break.

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