OKLAHOMA CITY — Matching up with Paolo Banchero, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander beat him to the basket to hit the reserve layup. The highlight shot gave OKC a double-digit lead with a little over four minutes left.
The Oklahoma City Thunder picked up their sixth consecutive home victory in a 112-100 win over the Orlando Magic. A 27-11 record now has the Thunder tied for first place in the Western Conference standings.
“That was a really, really good well-earned win by us,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said on the win. “Defense I thought was on it. I thought we did a really good job on Banchero… I thought offensively, we really generated great shots for a lot of the floor game.”
A sluggish start saw the Thunder create a 23-21 advantage following the first quarter. By halftime, that lead grew to a low-scoring 49-43. Coming out of the break, the Thunder’s potent offense returned to form. A 37-point third quarter helped OKC enter the final frame with an 86-73 lead.
Less than three minutes into the final frame, the SGA-less Thunder lineup created a game-high 16-point lead. The fourth quarter didn’t provide much drama as the closest the Magic got was within six points. OKC did an excellent job at keeping distance on the scoreboard the rest of the way.
Outside of a small blemish in the first frame, OKC led for the entire night as the short-handed Magic battled fatigue and injuries on the second night of a road back-to-back.
“I think we’re starting to figure out what it takes to win games,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “That’s the only thing on our minds.”
The Thunder shot 46% from the field and went 8-of-36 (22.2%) from 3. OKC shot 18-of-21 from the free-throw line. All five starters scored double-digit points.
Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 37 points and seven assists. The All-NBA player received several notable ‘MVP’ chants during his busy night ar the free-throw line. Jalen Williams had 16 points and Chet Holmgren had 15 points.
“We’ve had a very unselfish spirit really the whole season,” Daigneault said on their offensive flow. “They work together to find the best shots and they work together to find the best advantages.”
Meanwhile, the Magic shot 46% from the field and went 7-of-35 (20%) from 3. Orlando struggled from the free-throw line as it went 15-of-24.
Banchero scored a team-high 20 points on 8-of-19 shooting. Caleb Houstan contributed with 14 points and went 4-of-12 from 3. Off the bench, Cole Anthony scored 14 points and Anthony Black scored 13 points.
The absences of Franz Wagner and several other players were notable as the Magic never generated an offensive flow in a contest that had no real flow to it.
Even though their shot didn’t fall at the clip they’ve recently grown accustomed to, the Thunder picked up another solid win over the improved Magic.
“Stops because we did not shoot well,” Williams said. “Anytime you can hold a team to (100 points) or kinda below that like we’ve been able to do last couple of games, it makes having odd nights a lot easier.”
This was a neat way to wrap up a quick two-game homestand before returning to the grueling road as they begin a four-game road trip.
“We did a great job at manufacturing a win there on a night where we didn’t shoot it particularly well,” Daigneault said. “We did it with pace and we did it with rebounding. I think we’ve stayed the course with our style.”
Let’s look at Thunder player grades.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: A-plus
With the Thunder’s offense struggling, Gilgeous-Alexander helped make up for the off-shooting night by turning in a near 40-point performance.
In 36 minutes, Gilgeous-Alexander had 37 points on an efficient 13-of-20 shooting, seven assists, six rebounds and three steals. He went 11-of-12 from the free-throw line.
It’s his 28th 30-point game of the season, which leads the league, per the Thunder. An impressive showing against the fifth-best defensive-rated team in the league.
Gilgeous-Alexander helped carry the scoring load for OKC in the opening frame, totaling 14 of its 23 first-quarter points.
In the fourth quarter, he helped close out the win by scoring seven points in the final six minutes of the contest.
The Magic had no answer for him as he scored with ease inside of the paint — which included six and-one opportunities, which is tied for the most in a single game.
“A lot of core strength, I work on my core a lot,” Gilgeous-Alexander said on finishing through contact. “That’s the main thing I work on in summertime. And then I’m always working on my touch around the basket. I just try to focus. After you get hit and you have a shot to make it a three-point play, it’s worth the second of focus to try and get three points.”
On defense, Gilgeous-Alexander noted his experience has helped him improve this season as a defender, he continues to lead the league in steals by a wide margin.
“I feel like I’m getting smarter defensively,” Gilgeous-Alexander said on his defense. “… I’ve started to kinda figure out the defensive side of things and figure out what teams want to do offensively and try to take it away and try to pick my spots where I can gamble and be successful.”
SGA making moves 🪄
📺 @BallySportsOK pic.twitter.com/eXnc0BDxId
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) January 14, 2024
Lu steals it, Shai scores it ⚡️
Vote Thunder: https://t.co/2FFNkzxxzm pic.twitter.com/63m6RmT4LK
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) January 14, 2024
SGA JAM🔨#ThunderUp | @okcthunder | @BallySports 📺 pic.twitter.com/i2LLnJ9uLr
— Bally Sports Oklahoma (@BallySportsOK) January 14, 2024
Another one 👀
Vote Shai: https://t.co/2FFNkzxxzm pic.twitter.com/tV9oQ8vKe7
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) January 14, 2024
Shai doin' Shai things 😎#ThunderUp | @okcthunder | @BallySports 📺 pic.twitter.com/WBXXqgkp9I
— Bally Sports Oklahoma (@BallySportsOK) January 14, 2024
Jalen Williams: B
It was once again the Williams lineup in the fourth quarter that helped maintain separation on the scoreboard in a close contest.
When Gilgeous-Alexander checked out at the beginning of the final frame, OKC led by 13 points; by the time he checked back in, it was still a nine-point lead with seven minutes left.
Overall, Williams had 16 points on 7-of-16 shooting, six rebounds and two assists. His buzzer-beating 3-pointer to end the third quarter provided OKC with a boost entering the final frame that carried over.
The 22-year-old scored eight of his points in the fourth quarter to put this game to bed. Williams continues to take advantage of his second unit lineups as OKC is successful with them on the court.
“Just trying to take me what the defense gives me throughout the game,” Williams said on his recent fourth-quarter dominance. “They’re games where I might score a lot through the first half…
“I think the fourth-quarter thing is just me being a little more aggressive, kinda reading the game. I think a lot of the games we’ve had, they’ve been close, so when I start that fourth-quarter unit, I try to hunt shots a little bit more.”
J-DUB 😤 😤#ThunderUp | @okcthunder | @BallySports 📺 pic.twitter.com/dD6fv0h8ow
— Bally Sports Oklahoma (@BallySportsOK) January 14, 2024
JDub beats the buzzer heading into the 4th 🚨 pic.twitter.com/WRbvQCcAR5
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) January 14, 2024
Chet Holmgren: B
In a matchup headlined by the top two picks of the 2022 NBA draft, neither of them left an impressive mark in the outcome of this contest.
Instead, Holmgren played within the flow and finished with 15 points on 7-of-14 shooting, eight rebounds and three assists. He shot 1-of-5 from 3.
Coming out of halftime, Holmgren helped OKC get out of an offensive punk with 11 points. The Thunder’s 37 third-quarter points nearly matched their 49-point first-half efforts.
On the defensive side, Holmgren helped OKC outscore Orlando inside of the paint, 62-48. The 14-point advantage could mainly be attributed to his rim protection.
“Whenever I get beat, I know Chet’s down there getting our backs,” Lu Dort said on Holmgren. “It’s huge.”
Blocked by Holmgren 🚫
Vote Chet: https://t.co/2FFNkzxxzm pic.twitter.com/41mL3BPxw6
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) January 14, 2024
Thunder lobs >>> pic.twitter.com/U1mEXTSRF9
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) January 14, 2024
Holmgren hammers it home 🔨
Vote Chet: https://t.co/2FFNkzxxzm pic.twitter.com/tV1cHfu1KU
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) January 14, 2024
Vasilije Micic: B
After spending the first chunk of the season seldom playing, Micic has found himself a nice role as the backup point guard for the Thunder. He’s helped lead the second unit by creating quality looks for his teammates.
Against the Magic, Micic had seven points on 3-of-5 shooting and two rebounds. His lone assist came off a highlight pass where he found Isaiah Joe in transition for the posterizing dunk.
For most of the season, OKC has lacked an extra ball-handler who can spell the starters. If Micic continues to find his groove, perhaps the Thunder will have that addition within the roster.
“He (needed) to catch up to the pitching,” Daigneault said on Micic. “He’s so cerebral… You just kinda trust he’s gonna get there. You watch him in Europe and he’s a wizard. It took him a minute I think… We saw a window there coming out of Christmas with that second group.”
Birthday Boy Splash 🥳 🎉#ThunderUp | @okcthunder | @BallySports 📺 pic.twitter.com/NgdnXgSdw6
— Bally Sports Oklahoma (@BallySportsOK) January 14, 2024
Micić dime, Joe jam 💥@OGandE Power Play of the Game pic.twitter.com/pQBpCCvFsj
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) January 14, 2024
