OKLAHOMA CITY — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered the dagger, a step-back 3, to cap a strong finish by the Oklahoma City Thunder (20-9) in a 129-120 win over the New York Knicks on Wednesday.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s 3 gave OKC a 12-point lead with less than a minute left.
Playing on the second night of a back-to-back, the Thunder had an energetic start, building a 38-25 lead after the first quarter. At halftime, the lead was 69-60.
“A lot of the first half, we did a great job there,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said on the win. “You can’t underestimate the importance of a good start and I thought we got off to a good start. Built a nice lead.”
Midway through the third quarter, the Knicks tied it at 81, and the Thunder entered the final frame leading by just four points. A 27-point fourth quarter by the duo of Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren helped close OKC’s second consecutive victory.
The two-man game between the 2022 draft members helped the Thunder collect the win. Both contributed with crucial buckets down the stretch as Williams continues to blossom into a potent scorer.
“Game’s starting to slow down a little bit,” Williams said of his comfort level. “Kinda understand my team more and more. It allows me to get where I want to be at.”
The Thunder shot 54% from the field and went 14-of-32 (43.8%) from 3. They also went 17-of-22 from the free-throw line.
Gilgeous-Alexander had another monster-scoring game with 36 points. He was matched point-for-point by his running mate Williams, who scored a career-high 36 points. Holmgren added 22 points. The trio combined for 94 points.
“I just thought the execution for most of the night across the board was really, really good,” Daigneault said. “I thought we played a really clean offensive game. Got good shots for the majority of the night.
“I thought the guys were very adaptive and focused on the second night of a back-to-back.”
Meanwhile, the Knicks shot 50% from the field and went 14-of-34 (40%) from 3. They also enjoyed a busy night at the charity stripe with a 24-of-30 outing.
Julius Randle led New York with 25 points and went 10-of-13 from the free-throw line. Jalen Brunson also had 24 points and seven assists. Off the bench, Immanuel Quickley contributed with 22 points.
The biggest difference in the game was ball security. OKC dominated the turnover battle, 18-4. The four turnovers by the Thunder were a season low. The Knicks’ carelessness helped the Thunder score an impressive 22 points in the fast break.
It was a productive two days for the Thunder as they had a clean sweep in their first of multiple back to backs in the ensuing weeks. OKC is scheduled to play five back to backs in January.
Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams and Holmgren showcased the type of performances they can produce when playing together at a high level. The three Thunder pillars continue to headline their success despite their youth.
“It’s needed to win big in this league,” Gilgeous-Alexander said on OKC’s trio performance. “You need multiple options down the stretch. You need multiple weapons on the basketball court at all times.
“We’re forming that day by day. That’s our goal — to be a really good basketball team and to win big in this league.”
Let’s look at Thunder player grades.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: A-plus
It was another mundane, productive day for Gilgeous-Alexander. The 25-year-old has established himself as one of the best players in the league, which means dropping 30 points is the average outcome.
In 36 minutes, Gilgeous-Alexander had 36 points on 13-of-23 shooting, eight assists and seven rebounds. He also had a pair of blocks and steals.
This is now 10 straight games with 25-plus points and two-plus steals, which means Gilgeous-Alexander joins Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson as the only other players to accomplish this feat since steals began to be recorded in 1973.
Gilgeous-Alexander tallied up points like he traditionally does by attacking the paint with drives and pull-up jumpers.
By the end of the night, Gilgeous-Alexander scored OKC’s final two points at the free-throw line to loud ‘MVP’ chants from the crowd. At this rate, those chants might turn into reality soon — whether it’s this season or in the near future.
Spin cycle 🔛
Vote Shai: https://t.co/2FFNkzxxzm pic.twitter.com/02OAYPwUDY
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) December 28, 2023
3-point play the old fashion way 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/YappgPBrXc
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) December 28, 2023
Shai carves right through the defense 😤#ThunderUp | @okcthunder | 📺: BSOK pic.twitter.com/qTPCSTY5wh
— Bally Sports Oklahoma (@BallySportsOK) December 28, 2023
Literally no stopping Shai right now 🤯@okcthunder | #ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/fK4kSi2OaQ
— Bally Sports Oklahoma (@BallySportsOK) December 28, 2023
SHAI WITH THE DAGGER.@okcthunder | #ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/EsCBRZ2BG3
— Bally Sports Oklahoma (@BallySportsOK) December 28, 2023
The MVP chants for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are LOUD.
Give Shai his flowers 💐@okcthunder | #ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/PDf59834eP
— Bally Sports Oklahoma (@BallySportsOK) December 28, 2023
Jalen Williams: A-plus
Making back-to-back 3-pointers from the same spot, Williams hit soul-crushers against New York to put OKC up by 11 points with under three minutes left.
The two 3-pointers gift-wrapped Williams’ career night and a strong fourth quarter. In 33 minutes, he scored a career-high 36 points on 13-of-17 shooting and went a perfect 5-of-5 from 3. He also went 5-of-7 from the free-throw line.
It was evident early on it was going to be a big scoring night for Williams, as he scored OKC’s first seven points. After being held to 12 points from then until the start of the final frame, he exploded for 17 points to close it out.
In his second season, the 22-year-old continues to develop into the second-best scorer on the team. His one-legged jumper has become his patent shot that’s unguardable.
When the Thunder have both Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams going like they did tonight, they’re nearly impossible to defend.
“It’s nice to have guys that you can go to outside of just Shai all the time,” Daigneault said on Williams’ fourth quarter. “Because No. 1, it gasses him and No. 2, you become a one-trick pony… We want to be a team that’s dynamic and beat you in a lot of ways.”
Gilgeous-Alexander added: “I see a lot of (my game in him). Dub works out with me all the time. None of it I’m surprised by… Obviously, we’ve grown a lot closer since Day 1. He’s getting better every day. He’s gonna be a star in this league for a long time.”
All-out effort 🙌 pic.twitter.com/AZa6a35sFd
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) December 28, 2023
Fresh baked cookies 🍪 pic.twitter.com/1ybdNNdKoN
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) December 28, 2023
Dub denial 🚫 pic.twitter.com/ULztLcoYC1
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) December 28, 2023
Dub's here to stay 👀#ThunderUp | @okcthunder | 📺: BSOK pic.twitter.com/sKawKpXaII
— Bally Sports Oklahoma (@BallySportsOK) December 28, 2023
32 FOR JALEN WILLIAMS.
IMMACULATE VIBES IN OKC.#ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/OBztoR9DiZ
— Bally Sports Oklahoma (@BallySportsOK) December 28, 2023
Chet Holmgren: A-minus
Playing third fiddle, Holmgren was the third piece of a big night for OKC’s young and rising trio.
In 30 minutes, Holmgren had 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting, five rebounds and four blocks. He shot 1-of-4 from 3.
Holmgren’s final bucket received the loudest ovation from the OKC crowd as it gave the Thunder a 13-point advantage with a little over two minutes left.
The 21-year-old played a big role in OKC’s monster final frame, where he scored 10 points as the two-man game between him and Williams flexed its muscles on New York.
“In the NBA, one man can’t win (every) basketball game,” Holmgren said. “We know we have to step up and make game-winning plays on both ends of the floor.”
TOUGH, Chet 😤#ThunderUp | @okcthunder | 📺: BSOK pic.twitter.com/jN5u54R0jt
— Bally Sports Oklahoma (@BallySportsOK) December 28, 2023
Chet makin’ moves
Vote Chet: https://t.co/2FFNkzxxzm pic.twitter.com/kYmtWWcgj5
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) December 28, 2023
Access denied 🙅♂️
@OGandE Power Play of the Game pic.twitter.com/xSDrY6egH6— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) December 28, 2023
Block party sparks the break 💥
Vote Thunder: https://t.co/2FFNkzy5oU pic.twitter.com/jMDinz4gXV
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) December 28, 2023
Josh Giddey: C
It wasn’t the loudest performance, but Giddey added another outing to a solid string of games for him after a poor start to his season.
In 29 minutes, Giddey had seven points on 3-of-4 shooting, six rebounds, two assists and two blocks. He was a plus-11 on his time on the court.
Again, nothing eye-popping, but Giddey continues to play solid basketball, which is a huge step in the right direction for him considering where things were just a few weeks ago.
