Without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Oklahoma City Thunder kept their momentum going as they defeated the under-manned San Antonio Spurs, 102-90.
Gilgeous-Alexander sat out the second night of the back-to-back as the Thunder continue to manage his abdominal strain for the remainder of the season.
With the win, the Thunder have won three consecutive games and five of their last six contests. An impressive turnaround from the five-game losing streak they endured coming out of the All-Star break.
“I thought the way we started the game was very positive,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said. “It’s a tough back-to-back with tough travel, short turnaround, finished late last night and lost an hour of sleep.”
The lottery-picked rookies led the way for the Thunder as Jalen Williams recorded a near 21-point triple double and Ousmane Dieng turned in his best game of his rookie season.
“They’re taking advantage of their opportunities. I give them a lot of credit,” Daigneault said about Williams and Dieng. “They’re workers and they show up every day and attack the program… They’ve improved as a result and they’re talented players.”
Despite the win, it was an ugly and bogged down game where it was clear the Thunder struggled playing on short rest of the second night of a road back-to-back that occurred during daylight savings time.
Both teams shot below 40% from the field and below 30% from 3. The Thunder shot 36-of-95 (37.9%) from the field and 10-of-39 (25.6%) from 3. Meanwhile, the Spurs shot 33-of-88 (37.5%) from the field and 10-of-36 (27.8%) from 3.
The Spurs continue to be one of the worst teams in the league as they missed Keldon Johnson and Jeremy Sochan. Malaki Branham was also ruled out for the game after six minutes. With the loss, the Spurs remain in the race for the worst record in the league and continue to strengthen their spot as a top-three lottery odds team.
After a lethargic start, the Thunder eventually built a 29-19 lead after the first quarter. By halftime, that lead was trimmed to five points.
The Spurs eventually tied it in the third quarter at 59-59 with 9:12 left, but the Thunder proceeded to go on a 10-0 run to re-establish control as they never surrendered the lead the rest of the way.
The Spurs were led by veteran wing Zach Collins, who finished with 23 points on 7-of-14 shooting and 11 rebounds. Sharpshooter DeVonte’ Graham also scored 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting and 4-of-11 shooting from 3.
Just like Saturday’s win against the New Orleans Pelicans, while it wasn’t a pretty win against a Spurs squad missing several key players, that won’t reflect in the standings and the Thunder should not apologize for wins.
Let’s take a look at Thunder player grades.
Jalen Williams: A
Without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams carried the scoring punch of this low-scoring affair with a near triple double.
Williams finished with 21 points on 7-of-18 shooting, 1-of-4 shooting from 3 and went 6-of-7 from the free-throw line to go along with 10 assists and seven rebounds.
Williams’ lone 3 was a big one as it essentially iced the game as it gave the Thunder an 11-point lead with 1:25 left.
“He’s playing a lot of on-ball minutes and really learning how to manage the game from that standpoint,” Daigneault said about Williams.
It’s been a big positive weekend for the Thunder’s playoff aspirations and Williams is arguably the biggest reason why that’s the case with his performances over these last two games.
The…*checks notes* ROOKIE Jalen Williams is putting on a SHOW 🥶@okcthunder | #ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/aeEGZUfB1I
— Bally Sports Oklahoma (@BallySportsOK) March 13, 2023
The pass from Jalen Williams, the corner shot from Isaiah Joe…everything about that was a thing of beauty 😍
There's a new option to watch the Thunder. Learn More: https://t.co/YioxgSU4nH@okcthunder | #ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/BiWmuVXAMZ
— Bally Sports Oklahoma (@BallySportsOK) March 13, 2023
Go to work 8️⃣! pic.twitter.com/WHu16eb6vr
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) March 12, 2023
Ousmane Dieng: A
OKC’s other healthy lottery-picked rookie picked the right time to have his best game of his season.
In 28 minutes off the bench, Dieng scored a career-high 17 points on 7-of-15 shooting and went 2-of-6 from 3 to go along with eight rebounds. Dieng was notably more aggressive this game and it paid off as he led the Thunder in scoring in the first half with 11 points.
“We’re still building and he’s such a young player and he missed a lot of time so he’s really in the early stages of his development,” Daigneault said about Dieng, “but he’s learning the type of thrust you have to play with to be effective in an NBA game.”
While Dieng’s ceiling is still theoretical, games like these are nice previews as to the type of player the 19-year-old can eventually materialize into if all things go well.
Picking up the energy and pushing the pace! 💨@OGandE Power Play of the Game pic.twitter.com/udJmhDUPcD
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) March 13, 2023
Rise 🆙 pic.twitter.com/qiCaRXhp8h
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) March 12, 2023
Josh Giddey: B
Williams and Dieng get all the glamor, but Josh Giddey was a steady hand in this win.
Giddey finished with 15 points on 6-of-16 shooting, 11 rebounds and five assists. The shot didn’t fall for Giddey — especially in the paint as he went just 4-of-11 in that area — but the 20-year-old contributed in other ways.
Giddey was a big positive for the Thunder during this road back-to-back with his consistent minutes.
Making the extra pass to find the open man! pic.twitter.com/cMPwVzHu3k
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) March 13, 2023
Giddey gliding in for the finish! pic.twitter.com/ebsCLrjkEW
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) March 12, 2023
Giddey and J-Will making it look easy 😤@okcthunder | #ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/z5sPpg1VaB
— Bally Sports Oklahoma (@BallySportsOK) March 12, 2023
Dario Saric: B
You know, there’s a level of irony over the Thunder accidentally acquiring a rotation piece in Dario Saric — who was only traded to OKC to make the finances of a deal work.
Saric’s excellent play continued against the Spurs as he finished with 10 points on 4-of-9 shooting, seven rebounds and three assists in 18 minutes off the bench. Saric was a game-high +17.
In 12 games with the Thunder, Saric is averaging nine points on 55.9% shooting and 3.9 rebounds. From 3, Saric is shooting 39.4% on 2.8 attempts. For comparison’s sake, Mike Muscala — who the Boston Celtics acquired to improve their depth — is averaging 5.7 points on 42.2% shooting in nine games.
With how Saric has played since arriving in OKC, it’s easy to see why he’s pushed Jeremiah Robinson-Earl out of the rotation.
Can't leave 9️⃣ open like that! 🔥@okcthunder | #ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/D6XAX5sZtL
— Bally Sports Oklahoma (@BallySportsOK) March 12, 2023
